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Vientiane Times
TUESDAY MARCH 5, 2019 ISSUE 54
The First National English Language Newspaper
www.vientianetimes.la 4500 kip

Modern new unit opens Govt works

at Mittaphab Hospital
Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
A new wing has opened at
Mittaphab Hospital (Friendship
Hospital) in Vientiane as part of
efforts to improve the standard of
healthcare and raise the country’s
health services to international
standards.
The new block will have about
308 beds, to add to the hospital’s
existing 300-bed capacity.
The building will be fitted out
with modern equipment for use in
general diagnosis, as well as for
radiology and magnetic resonance
imaging and other specialised
fields.
Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Finance, Mr
Somdy Duangdy, attended the
inauguration ceremony of the
building on Monday.
The ceremony was also
attended by the Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Czech
Republic, Mr Martin Tlapa,
along with high-level delegations
including Lao health officials.
The new facility is expected
to open to the public in July,
as construction has not been
completed on schedule. Work on
the building began in 2015.
The construction cost of about 112
million euros (more than 800 billion
kip) has been financed by a loan
from the UniCredit Bank of Austria,
facilitated by the government of the
Czech Republic.
Minister of Health, Associate
Prof. Dr Bounkong Syhavong,
The new block at Mittaphab Hospital in Vientiane.
said Mittaphab plans to be the
new face of hospital facilities in
Laos and will operate in line with
international standards.
The four-storey building, which
occupies a site next to the existing
29-year-old hospital, covers an area
of 21,000 square metres.
The extension to the hospital
is in line with the government’s
policy to modernise healthcare
through the use of the latest
equipment and skilled personnel.
The ministry’s goal is to
upgrade facilities and improve
services through better quality
treatment and technological
innovations, the minister said.
“We hope the presence of
improved facilities in Laos will
encourage more people to seek
treatment here instead of crossing
the border,” he added.
The new hospital will have
modern equipment so that
doctors can make more accurate
diagnoses and prescribe the
correct treatment.
The new facilities will enable
medical personnel to improve
their skills in endoscopic surgery,
cardiology, and the treatment of
hypertension and cancer.
The hospital will continue its
policy to provide free treatment
for people on low incomes to
ensure that everyone has access
to healthcare.
Mittaphab Hospital has at least
30 wards and employs more than
500 medical staff, including 100
doctors. Some 900-1,000 people
visit the outpatient department every
day, while 300-400 people require
overnight stays.
towards
a better
business
environment
Souksakhone Vaenkeo
Lao authorities have adopted
measures that will allow easier
access to credit and give added
protection to minority investors in
moves set to improve the country’s
overall business environment.
Accessing credit and protecting
minority investors are two of the
11 indicators which the World
Bank uses to assess ‘ease of doing
business’ (EDB) in its worldwide
survey.
Laos’ EDB ranking dropped 13
places to 154th this year out of a
total of 190 national economies.
The government is escalating
efforts to improve the business
environment to lift its ranking
and make investment and trade as
simple and transparent as possible.
In a meeting held last week
chaired by the Minister of Planning
and Investment, Dr Souphanh
Keomixay, it was agreed that
the Bank of the Lao PDR would
work with key industry groups
and relevant government sectors
to make it easier for businesses to
access credit.
A key aspect of the changes
will centre on the central bank’s
work with the Ministry of Justice
to amend legislation on the
guarantees needed to obtain credit
and loans. The civil code, the law
on agreement implementation

Bolton defends Trump-Kim summit, refutes ‘failure’ accusations

John Bolton. (File Photo)
WASHINGTON (Xinhua/China
Daily) -- US National Security
Adviser John Bolton said on
Sunday that the just-concluded
meeting between the top leaders of
the United States and Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea
(DPRK) is not a “failed summit.”
“I don’t agree at all that it was
a failed summit,” he said during an
interview with Fox News.
Bolton also made a similar
statement in a separate interview
with the CBC’s “Face the Nation,”
saying that “I don’t consider the
summit a failure. I consider it a
success defined as the president
protecting and advancing
American national interests.”
“There was extensive
preparation for this meeting.
Extensive discussions between
the president and Kim Jong Un,”
he explained. “I don’t view it as
a failure at all when American
national interests are protected.”
However, he added that
Wa s h i n g t o n ’s “ p r o g r a m o f
maximum pressure will continue”
on Pyongyang, which had “brought
them to the table in the first place.”
Tr u m p a n d K i m e n d e d
their second summit in Hanoi
last week without reaching an
agreement. However, both sides
have expressed willingness
after the meeting for further
engagement on key issues such as
the denuclearisation of the Korean
Peninsula, the establishment of
lasting peace, and economic
options related to the DPRK side.
The Pentagon said on Saturday
that the United States and South
Korea have decided to conclude
the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle
series of exercises, which the DPRK
had denounced a dress rehearsal
for northward invasion, and “very
expensive” and “provocative” “war
games” in Trump’s view.
guarantee, and the Law on
Enterprise Bankruptcy will likely
require amendments.
The relevant ministries and
sectors were asked by the meeting
to accelerate work in drawing
up a prime ministerial decree on
access to credit, a senior official
from the Investment Promotion
Department, Ministry of Planning
and Investment.
The draft of the decree is
expected to be submitted for the
government’s consideration and
promulgation during the fourth
quarter of this year.
As a result of discussions
around accessing loans, the central
bank will work more closely with
CONTINUED PAGE 3

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2 Home news Tuesday March 5, 2019
Japan grants 1.4 billion kip to set up
school libraries in Vientiane province
Viengdavanh Banphahaksa
The Japanese government
has provided grant
assistance of more than 1.4
billion kip (US$170,429) to
build school libraries and
foster pupils’ reading skills
in Vientiane province.
The grant contract was
signed at the Japanese
Embassy on Friday by the
Ambassador of Japan to
Laos, Mr Takeshi Hikihara,
and a representative of
Action with Lao Children
(ALC), a Japanese non-
profit organisation, Ms
Chanthasone Inthavong.
The signing was witnessed
by Deputy Minister of
Education and Sports,
Assoc. Prof. Dr Khamphay
Sisavanh, as well as
representatives of relevant
ministries and organisations.
The grant extended at
this time will fund activities
for the first year of the three-
year project.
Ambassador Hikihara
thanked Action with Lao
Children and other parties
present for conducting this
important project to develop
children’s reading skills
and bolster their interest in
books and reading.
“The project will build
libraries at three schools
i n Vi e n t i a n e p r o v i n c e
and select books that will
Rattana college raises status to institute, resumes bachelor degree courses
Keoviengkhone Bounviseth open the Rattana Institute as having higher standards
The newly named Rattana
Institute of Business
Administration - a private
education institute in
Vientiane - is expected to
resume bachelor degree
programmes this year after
the Ministry of Education
raised its status from college
to institute.
Staff at the institute
plan to offer four degree
programmes in general
management, finance and
banking, marketing, and
business English. Each will
involve four years of study.
The facility was
given the green light by
authorities to resume
bachelor degree programmes
after provisionally losing
authorisation in the 2013-14
academic year.
A ceremony to officially
Lao Press in Foreign Languages
Vientiane Times
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Supervisor:
Savankhone Razmountry
Editor-in-Chief:
Thonglor Duangsavanh
engage the interest of
student readers. I sincerely
hope this project achieves
its goals,” he added.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Khamphay
thanked Action with
Lao Children and the
Japanese government for
their support for human
resource development in
Laos, especially in the
field of education, saying
this was critically important
for Laos’ development.
“This assistance will
inspire more children to
read as well as improving
the overall quality of
education in secondary
schools,” he added.
The educational initiative
of Business Administration
was held at the campus last
week, attended by Minister
of Education and Sports Mrs
Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun.
The institute was given
approval by authorities to
resume bachelor degree
courses after demonstrating
compliance with set standards
concerning the quantity and
quality of teaching personnel.
It also had to comply with
the national curriculum set
by the Ministry of Education
and Sports. This year,
education authorities have
awarded institute status to two
private tertiary educational
facilities - Rattana Institute
of Business Administration
and Sengsavanh Institute of
Business. In that capacity they
may now offer bachelor and
higher level courses.
An institute is recognised
Tel: 021 336042
info@vientianetimes.la
Deputy Editor-in-Chief:
Phonekeo Vorakhoun
is titled “Reading promotion
project through setting up a
school library at secondary
s c h o o l s i n Vi e n t i a n e
province”. Its overarching
goal is to develop a fair
and peaceful society by
encouraging children to
read so they are equipped
with the ability to create
their own future by making
informed decisions.
ALC will establish
three libraries, including a
reading/learning space, at
three secondary schools in
Vientiane province.
The group will also
provide books and train
teachers in ways to inspire
and encourage children to
than a college with regard to
the curriculum, educational
infrastructure, equipment,
facilities, and teaching skills.
Colleges may only teach
higher diploma courses.
The approved institutes
may teach bachelor degree
courses before being assessed
by authorities as to whether
they can offer other higher
degree courses including
master ’s and doctorate
programmes.
The authorities will
monitor the approved
institutes for two years to
assess whether they are
in compliance with the
standards set by the Ministry
of Education and Sports.
Authorities will also assess
the capacity of other colleges
to resume bachelor and higher
level courses.
According to the Rattana
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vorakhoun@gmail.com
Deputy Editor-in-Chief:
Phon Thikeo
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Features Editor:
Panyasith Thammavongsa
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021 336047, Fax: 021 336046
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Mr Takeshi
Hikihara
shakes hands
with Ms
Chanthasone
Inthavong
after signing a
grant contract
last Friday.
read, especially in their
free time. It is hoped
the project will be self-
sustaining and that the
schools will be successful
in managing the libraries
independently.
ALC was founded in
1982 and has been working
both in Laos and Japan to
promote the healthy growth
of children in Laos.
In 2014, ALC
implemented a project to
support school libraries
through the provision of
1,700 books and creating
reading-learning spaces in
two secondary schools in
Vientiane, with funding from
the Japanese government.
Mrs Sengdeuane Lachanthaboun (left) and officials last week attend an opening ceremony
at the Rattana Institute of Business Administration in Vientiane.
Institute, its focus is on
providing individual attention
and building links with
universities and companies
in other countries. It aims
to provide students with the
practical and analytical skills
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Sisay Vilaysack
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Malaythong Phayanouvong
Research centre targets
forest ecology in climate
change adaptation
Times Reporters
The Forest Research Centre
under the National Agriculture
and Forestry Research
Institute is continuing its
studies into the ecological
improvement of forests as part
of climate change adaptation.
Director of the facility, Mr
Vongvilay Vongkhamsao, said
climate change is impacting
upon some native plant
species and forest ecology.
Consequently, the centre
is accelerating its efforts to
preserve 15 indigenous plant
species at risk of extinction.
M r Vo n g v i l a y s a i d
their work was focused on
studies in forest ecology and
environmental management
using forest products and
forest protection to address
climate change.
The centre has provided
policymakers from the
Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry and various
institutions with information
and guidance on emerging
national, regional, and
globally linked opportunities
and problems in the sector.
In addition, they are
improving access to information
for different actors so they can
make informed decisions at
different levels. Mr Vongvilay
pointed out that as part of
research into climate change
adaptation, the centre will carry
necessary for successful
careers domestically and
globally, in both the state and
private sectors.
There are now four
state and private education
institutes in Laos including
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Vientiane Times
on assessing biomass for carbon
content in different types of
forest in northern Laos. Other
initiatives include studying
plant protection using biological
controls in four provinces and
developing guidelines on
silviculture for tree planting
of different species.
As a result, the centre
has seen results in sustainable
agro- and forestry biodiversity
management aimed at
conserving and domesticating
high-value species for
multiplication. The centre is also
researching seeds and the use of
technology to address climate
change, such as developing
appropriate methods and
technologies to increase
productivity and strengthen
forest production systems for
the country’s different areas.
The Forest Research
Centre has 15 facilities across
the country carrying out
various studies such as defining
appropriate technologies,
measures, technical guidelines,
se r v i c e p r o v i s i o n f o r
saplings, and the supply of
saplings to the public.
Currently, there is a plant
database comprising 22,000
records, 2,200 plant species,
236 genera, and 146 families.
There are 750 records on
rattan with 31 species and
six genera, as well as 130
records on bamboo including
42 species and 15 genera.
the two newly approved
facilities in Vientiane.
Of the more than 800
private colleges in Laos, 400
are members of the Private
Education Consultant
Association.
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Vientiane Times
Ministry ploughs ahead with
agriculture agenda
Sangkhomsay
Bubphanouvong
The Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry reviewed its
work over 2018 and outlined
the agenda for the year
ahead during an annual
summary meeting for the
sector held in Vientiane on
Monday.
The meeting heard about
ongoing efforts to enhance
rice production, encourage
commercial livestock
rearing and sustainable
forestry, especially to assist
remote communities, to put
the sector on a successful
long-term footing.
The National Agriculture
and Forestry Research
Institute hosted the meeting
which was attended by
Minister of Agriculture and
Forestry, Dr Lien Thikeo,
deputy ministers, senior
officials and provincial
agriculture representatives.
Dr Lien said this year
the ministry was prioritising
agriculture and forestry
development in remote areas
Bodies of Thai road accident
victims repatriated
Times Reporters
The bodies of five Thai
nationals who died when
their pickup plummeted
down a steep hillside while
travelling from Kasy district
in Vientiane province to Nan
district in Luang Prabang
province last Friday were
yesterday taken to Thailand
for religious rites.
Head of the Luang Prabang
Traffic Police Department,
Lieutenant Colonel
Bounsavath Somphaxay, told
Vientiane Times the accident
occurred at 12:30pm on
March 1 in Nameuang village,
Nan district, when the driver
of the pickup lost control and
the vehicle left the road and
rolled down a steep hill.
The pickup was carrying
five members of a Thai family,
including the driver, who were
taking a holiday in Laos.
The remains of a pickup that rolled off the road down a steep hill in Nan district, Luang existing regulations relating to
Prabang province, last Friday. --Photo local authorities information disclosure.
Dr Lien Thikeo addresses
the review meeting at
the National Agriculture
and Forestry Research
Institute on Monday.
to help address poverty
by expanding agricultural
infrastructure and utilising
new technology and modern
methods to improve the
quality of yields while
embracing clean agriculture.
Last year, the country’s
agriculture sector and
farming communities
were badly affected by
widespread flooding.
To assist socio-economic
development in 2019, the
ministry plans to expand the
annual production of paddy
rice to more than 4.4 million
tonnes, coffee to about
“When local authorities
went to the scene of the accident
they found four people dead
inside the pickup. The driver,
who was seriously injured, died
on the way to hospital,” Lt
Col Bounsavath said.
“The vehicle ran
off the road and plunged
about 85 metres down the
hillside. According to initial
investigations, we believe it is
possible the accident occurred
because of a mechanical fault
and maybe the brakes weren’t
working properly. The pickup
was travelling down a fairly
steep incline,” he added.
The victims’ bodies were
taken to Luang Prabang
hospital from where they
were taken to Samut Prakan
province in Thailand through
the Nong Khai border
crossing, he added.
The five people travelling
in the vehicle were members
160,000 tonnes, sweetcorn
to 1 million tonnes, cassava
to 2.28 million tonnes,
meat production to 199,210
tonnes, eggs 43,770 tonnes,
and fish to 215,000 tonnes.
The ministry vowed to
conduct further studies and
mobilise funding sources
from home and abroad
and work with various
organisations to assist in Walkers prepare to take to the streets on Sunday to raise awareness of efforts to end
the development of the teenage pregnancy.
sector.
The review noted that in
2018 the nation was able to
produce about 4.2 million
Walkers stride out in support
tonnes of rice, 137,500
tonnes of coffee, 1.2 million
tonnes of sweetcorn, more
of an end to teenage pregnancy
than 2 million tonnes of Times Reporters
sugar, 71,500 tonnes of
tobacco, and more than 2.4 More than 4,000 people
million tonnes of cassava. ran or walked through the
Problems concerning streets of Vientiane on
4,833 families and 220 Sunday to raise awareness
villages were addressed, as of the issues surrounding
were those of two districts teenage pregnancy.
classified as poor. The runners and walkers
Some 100 village groups were taking part in the 4th
and large villages in rural Vientiane International
areas were merged into Half Marathon, one of
larger townships. whose goals this year
was to raise awareness of
the need to end teenage
pregnancy.
Under the slogan
“Girlhood Not Motherhood:
together we can end teenage
pregnancy” the event was
of the Srisawat family. They supported by the United
were named as oil drill Nations Population Fund
engineer Sompop Srisawat, (UNFPA) in cooperation
his parents Supat and Oun, with the Ministry of
his brother Surapan, and Education and Sports.
sister Somporn, according The half marathon was
to Thailand’s The Nation.     also part of events to mark
According to Sompop’s International Women’s Day
brother, Somsak Srisawat, on March 8.
who along with two sisters did Speaking at the event,
not join the trip, Sompop had UNFPA’s Representative
visited Luang Prabang before in the Lao PDR, Ms
and wanted to take the whole Mariam Khan, said teenage
family there before he went to pregnancy creates a cycle of
work in Dubai. inter-generational poverty
The five of them set off and disadvantage.
for Laos in their own vehicle Young men and women
on February 27. Somsak and need to know about safe
two other sisters were busy
Govt works towards a better...
and so did not go. Somsak
said his two sisters had flown
to Laos to collect the bodies
the relevant bodies so that
with the help of Thai Consular
the required information on
Department officials for the
utility payments for loans can
funeral rites, to be held in
be provided more quickly and
Samut Prakan province,
according to The Nation. 
with less administration.
To b e t t e r p r o t e c t
minority investors, the Lao
Securities Commission
and the Bank of the Lao
PDR will work with the
Ministry of Industry
and Commerce and the
People’s Supreme Court
to amend the Law on
Enterprise, the Law on
Civil Case Prosecutions,
a n d t h e Law on Court
Service Fees.
As a result of the
meeting, the Lao Securities
Commission will also work
with industry professionals
to draw up new guidelines
for the administration of listed
companies and will amend
Tuesday March 5, 2019
and responsible sexual
reproductive health, and
know where they can access
information and quality
services.
“Every girl in Laos
should enjoy their girlhood,
not motherhood. Every
pregnancy should be by
choice, not chance,” Ms
Khan said.
Laos has the highest
proportion of teen
pregnancies in Asean with
83 live births per 1,000 girls
aged 15-19.
One in 20 adolescent
girls has never attended
school. As a result, non-
school attendant girls are
married at an early age.
One in 10 girls has given
birth to their first child
before they are 17 years of
age. This leads to increased
risks to the health of mothers
as well as newborns.
One in five adolescent
girls aged 15-19 drops out
of school.
It is difficult for young
men and women to know
where to go for information
and services about their
sexual reproductive health
and well-being. Knowing
the problem is the first step,
Ms Khan stressed.
The meeting also resolved
to amend the Law on Securities
Exchange. Formulations and
amendments are expected
to be adopted by regulatory
authorities by the end of
this year. The government
is hoping that Laos’ EDB
ranking will rise from 154th
to double digits by 2020.
Prime Minister Thongloun
Sisoulith has requested more
urgency from ministries in
their work to achieve better
outcomes in the 11 indicators
the World Bank uses to assess
EDB. The 11 indicators are
starting a business, dealing
with construction permits,
getting electricity, registering
property, getting credit,
protecting minority investors,
paying taxes, trading across
borders, enforcing contracts,
resolving insolvency, and
labour market regulations.
The Ministry of Industry
Home news 3
Through its support for
the event, UNFPA aimed
to reach more than 4,000
participants with key
information and services
through various media
platforms, radio interviews,
a social media campaign
to engage the audience on
questions around teenage
pregnancy, and a variety of
games and activities.
T h e f i r s t Vi e n t i a n e
International Half Marathon
was held in 2016 with about
1,000 runners. In successive
years, the number of
participants and volunteers
and the size of the audience
has increased.
A diverse range of people
take part and running a
marathon does not divide
participants by background
or culture, so that no one is
left behind.
In the spirit of the
Sustainable Development
G o a l s , t h e U N F PA i s
attempting to expand
channels of engagement in
Laos, reaching out to those
who may not be familiar
with topics such as teenage
pregnancy and how that
can be limiting for the
future of young mothers
and their children.
FROM PAGE 1
and Commerce said in its
report that trading across
borders has improved
considerably.
Laos’ trading across
borders facilitation ranking
climbed from 124th in
2018 to 76th this year – an
improvement of 48 places.
This progress has put Laos
fourth among the members
of Asean, the 10-member
regional bloc of which
Laos is a member. Other
Asean members - Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand – took
the top three places.
The ministry’s Enterprise
Registration Office said the
time taken to complete the
paperwork to start a new
business has been cut to less
than two months compared to
almost six months previously.
The new, streamlined
procedures came into effect
last month.
4 Photo news Tuesday March 5, 2019
High-level delegations include health officials from Laos and the Czech Republic attend the
opening ceremony of a new building at Mittaphab Hospital on Monday. --Photo Phetphoxay
Staff from China Radio International (CRI), quiz contestants and lucky draw
participants pose for a photo at an event held last Friday at the Don Chan Palace hotel in
Vientiane. Gifts were given to followers of CRI who regularly listen to the broadcaster’s
programmes in Vientiane. --Photo Sisouphan
Lao students attend the Bangkok University Open Day on Saturday. The event, which
took place in Vientiane, was hosted by Bangkok University and Classy Education to
introduce the university’s bachelor, master’s and doctorate programmes. --Photo Tou
Students enjoy their new playground at Huaytom Primary School in Sangthong district,
Vientiane, last week after Lanexang Assurance in cooperation with the DB Kim Jun Ki
Cultural Foundation of the Republic of Korea built a new kindergarten and playground,
provided educational equipment, renovated, and provided an electricity supply to the
school at a cost of almost 400 million kip. --Photo Da
Vientiane Times
What the Lao papers say
Attapeu earns
billions of kip from
sale of animals
Translated by Times Reporters
Attapeu province exported 5,160 cattle and earned more than 6.5 billion kip
from their sale in 2018.
But the Head of the livestock and fishery division of the Agriculture and
Forestry Department in Attapeu, Mr Sengphachanh Phimphavongsavat, said
the province had been unable to achieve its target for animal husbandry because
people continued to rear animals using traditional methods.
It was also difficult to vaccinate all animals and only 65 percent of the target
number were vaccinated last year, he said.
However, more animals are being raised and there are now 332,393 animals
with the potential to supply meat to other provinces.
Attapeu also has 1,363 fishponds covering 63.8 hectares, which produced
3,163 tonnes of fish last year.
There are now 44 livestock farms, including farms run by companies,
businessmen and villagers, Mr Sengphachanh said.
To guarantee that every person in Attapeu eats 55 kg of meat a year, the
province intends to produce 8,074 tonnes of meat this year and officials will
encourage people to raise more cattle, poultry and fish. Health officials must
also do more to prevent animal diseases, he added.
--Socio-Economic Daily, March 1
Oudomxay court hands down life
sentence to young drug dealer  
The People’s Supreme Court of Oudomxay province has given a life sentence
to a 23-year-old man found guilty of dealing drugs.
The offender was identified as Mr Amao, 23, from Hom village in Xay
district. The court also fined him 500 million kip.
Police arrested Mr Amao on March 4, 2018, as he was purchasing two
amphetamine tablets from Mr Phon, 33, from Nakham in Mai district.
Phongsaly province.
Mr Phon had also brought 380 grammes of heroin to sell to Mr Amao for
5 million kip.
Later, Mr Phycher, 35, from Omphou village in Mai district, gave 900 grams
of opium to Mr Amao to sell.
On February 24, 2018, Mr Amao went out to buy 528 amphetamine tablets.
On March 4, 2018, he bought heroin, opium and amphetamine tablets in
Paknortong village, Namor district, before he was arrested.
Police are now trying to track down Mr Phon and Mr Phycher so they can
be brought to justice.
--Khuamsangob Daily, March 1
Luang Namtha building 
23 billion kip water supply  
Luang Namtha province is investing more than 23 billion kip to provide piped
water to 15 villages using a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Construction started in March last year and is now 61.83 percent complete.
The project is scheduled for completion in August 2020.
Deputy director of the water supply state enterprise in Luang Namtha
province, Mr Sitthikone Phanalay, said the work includes construction of water
tanks and installation of 112.2 km of pipes to link a water treatment plant to
15 villages.
Authorities have also provided a grant to help improve the environment in
seven of the villages under the project. The ADB provided 71 percent of the
total value, the government contributed 19 percent and villagers supplied 10
percent, he added.
Mr Sitthikone said authorities had also provided a grant to build toilets for
58 poor families.
He urged the residents of the 15 villages under the project to cooperate in its
implementation, including the installation of pipes, saying they would benefit
from the clean water provided and possibly rise above poverty.
 --Socio-Economic Daily, March 4
Vientiane Times
Protein inhibitor may help
cure liver cancer
(China Daily) -- Chinese
scientists have identified
a protein that causes the
proliferation of liver cancer
cells, which could assist in
the development of a new
cancer drug.
By studying proteins of
patients with early-stage
liver cancer, researchers
found that the activity of
one protein, identified
a s S OAT1, can a ffec t
cholesterol stability in
cancer cells - which triggers
them to proliferate and
migrate.
The study also found that
avasimibe, an inhibitor of
SOAT1, shows potential as a
targeted therapeutic drug.
The paper, co-authored by
scientists from the Academy
of Military Medical Sciences,
Zhongshan Hospital affiliated
to Fudan University, and
Beijing Cancer Hospital, was
recently published in Nature.
Fan Jia, dean of Zhongshan
Hospital affiliated to Fudan
University, said doctors often
found from clinical practice
that even a very small tumor
can recur and deteriorate
quickly after being removed.
They suspected it might have
nothing to do with the size
of the tumor, and instead
be related to its biological
behavior. “This study explains
why very early liver cancer
can still spread to the entire
body one to three months
after surgery,” he said. “It is
of great value for future drug
research, and helps explain
the biological features of liver
cancer so that more effective
treatment can be selected.”
Liver cancer is one of
the most common malignant
tumors in China. Among
700,000 cases of liver
cancer worldwide each year,
350,000 are in China, said
Jiang Ying, the paper’s first
author and also a researcher
at the Academy of Military
Medical Sciences. The current
globally recognised clinical
plan holds that liver cancer
can be completely cured if
caught at an early stage, but
years of clinical practice have
found that the disease recurs
in 50 to 70 percent of primary
liver cancer patients.
“So how to accurately
treat this particular group of
patients is a problem that the
entire world is now facing,”
Jiang said. She said now that
avasimibe has been found to
be effective, the researchers
will focus on developing a
drug using it.
There have been previous
studies on avasimibe, but they
were focused on its efficacy in
lowering blood lipids, Jiang
said. Though they ended in
failure, the drug was clinically
confirmed to be safe, which
will help greatly reduce the
time for new anti-cancer drug
development, she said.
The study is part of the
Chinese Human Proteome
Project, launched in 2014 to
explore new approaches to
treat major endemic diseases
by building up human
proteome biological profiles
and mapping all the proteins
in major organs.
It is also a collaborative
effort of the international
Human Proteome Project,
organised by the Human
Proteome Organisation,
that aims to enhance the
understanding of human
biology at the cellular level
by mapping the entire human
proteome - the range of proteins
that can be expressed by genes.
He Fuchu, an academician at the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
and the chief scientist of the
Chinese Human Proteome
Project, said China embarked
on proteomics in 1998 and
also initiated the human liver
proteome project in 2002.
This photo shows debris in Lee County, Ala., after what appeared to be a tornado struck in
the area Sunday. --Photo WKRG-TV via AP
Death toll rises to 22 as tornadoes,
severe storms hit South
BEAUREGARD, Ala. (AP)
-- A tornado roared into
southeast Alabama and killed
at least 22 people and injured
several others Sunday, part
of a severe storm system that
caused catastrophic damage
and unleashed other tornadoes
around the Southeast.
“We are at 22 right now.
Unfortunately, I feel like that
number may rise yet again,”
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones
said of the death toll.
Drones flying overheard
equipped with heat-seeking
devices had scanned the
area for survivors but the
dangerous conditions halted
the search late Sunday, Jones
said. An intense ground
search would resume
Monday morning.
Jones said the twister
traveled straight down a
county road in the rural
community of Beauregard
and that the path of damage
and destruction appeared
at least a half mile wide.
H e s a i d s i ngle-family
homes and mobile homes
were destroyed, adding some
homes were reduced to slabs.
He had told reporters earlier
that several people were taken
to hospitals, some with “very
serious injuries.”
Lee County Coroner Bill
Harris told The Associated
Press that he had to call in help
from the state, because there
were more bodies than his
Senate likely to get enough votes against
Trump’s national emergency declaration
WASHINGTON (Xinhua)
-- The US Senate is likely
to garner enough bipartisan
votes to pass a resolution
against President Donald
Trump’s national emergency
declaration aimed to fund the
US-Mexico border wall, local
media reported Sunday.
“I can’t vote to give the
president the power to spend
money that hasn’t been
appropriated by Congress,”
Republican Senator Rand
Paul said at a dinner in
Tuesday March 5, 2019
four-person office can handle.
The National Weather
Service confirmed late Sunday
a tornado with at least an F3
rating and a track at least half
a mile (.8 kilometers) wide
caused the deadly destruction
in Alabama.
Dozens of emergency
responders rushed to join
search and rescue efforts in
hard-hit Lee County after what
forecasters said they think was
a large tornado touched down
Sunday afternoon, unleashed
by a powerful storm system
that also slashed its way
across parts of Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida.
Radar and video evidence
showed what looked like a
large tornado crossing the
area near Beauregard shortly
after 2 p.m. on Sunday, said
meteorologist Meredith Wyatt
with the Birmingham office of
the National Weather Service.
“It appears it stayed on
the ground for at least a mile
and maybe longer,” Jones
told the AP.
After nightfall Sunday,
the rain had stopped and
pieces of metal debris
and tree branches littered
roadways in Beauregard.
Two sheriff ’s vehicles
blocked reporters and others
from reaching the worst-hit
area. Power appeared to be
out in many places.
President Donald Trump
tweeted late Sunday, “To the
Western Kentucky University
late Saturday night.
“We may want more
money for border security, but
Congress didn’t authorise it.
If we take away those checks
and balances, it’s a dangerous
thing,” he was quoted by local
media reports as saying.
“I can’t vote to give
extra-Constitutional powers
to the president,” he said.
Paul joins three other Senate
Republicans - Susan Collins
of Maine, Lisa Murkowski
5
World
great people of Alabama and
surrounding areas: Please be
careful and safe. ... To the
families and friends of the
victims, and to the injured,
God bless you all!”
Rita Smith, spokeswoman
for the Lee County Emergency
Management Agency, said
about 150 first responders had
quickly jumped in to efforts
to search the debris after the
storm struck in Beauregard. At
least one trained canine could
be seen with search crews as
numerous ambulances and
emergency vehicles, lights
flashing, converged on the
area.
No deaths had been
reported Sunday evening from
storm-damaged Alabama
counties outside Lee County,
said Gregory Robinson,
spokesman for the Alabama
Emergency Management
Agency. But he said crews
were still surveying damage
in several counties in the
southwestern part of the state.
Numerous tornado
warnings were posted across
parts of Alabama, Georgia,
Florida and South Carolina
on Sunday afternoon as the
powerful storm system raced
across the region.
Weather officials said they
confirmed other tornadoes
around the region by radar
alone and would send teams
out early Monday to assess
those and other storms.
of Alaska, and Thom Tillis
of North Carolina - who have
already said they will vote
with Democrats in opposition
to the president’s declaration.
With Republicans holding
just 53 Senate seats, these
defections mean the resolution
will likely pass, said the reports.
On Tuesday, the Democratic-
controlled House voted 245-
182 to approve the resolution.
Thirteen House Republicans
joined Democrats to end
Trump’s emergency declaration.
6 World Tuesday March 5, 2019 Vientiane Times

In brief from Asia

News Network
New techniques let scientists Old habits return
Main opposition
party ends boycott of
zero in on individual cells in election
parliament
SOUTH KOREA (The
NEW YORK (AP) -- Did
you hear what happened
when Bill Gates walked
campaigning
Korea Herald) -- The
main opposition Liberty into a bar? Everybody THAILAND (The Nation) The academic cited
Korea Party on Monday there immediately became -- Campagining ahead of the presidential elections the
ended its more than millionaires — on average. March 24 election is getting United States where there
one-month boycott of That joke about a very livelier – and a little too are typically only two rivals
parliamentary activities. rich man is an old one among heated in the view of some and they compete on policy.
The National Assembly statisticians. So why did Peter observers. Candidates win or lose
has been idle since Jan. Smibert use it to explain a The old habit of rivals depending on what their
24 amid tensions over revolution in biology? slinging mud at one another parties have to offer.
a raft of allegations of Because it shows averages has revived in several Fugitive former premier
government abuse of can be misleading. And constituencies, prompting Thaksin Shinawatra’s now-
power, a controversial Smibert, of the New York critics to raise concerns defunct Thai Rak Thai
appointment and a Genome Centre, says that about the quality of the view Party introduced a slew
former ruling party includes when scientists are of some observers. of populist policies in the
lawmaker's purchases trying to understand the basic “The world has evolved 2001 campaign and they’ve
of properties in cultural unit of life, the cell. but Thai politicians have remained a signature of the
zones. Until recently, trying to failed to develop or employ Shinawatra camp, never
study key traits of cells from new, creative methods in failing to win elections.
E-cigarette busts in people and other animals their campaigns to attract In fact, the policies are so
Bangkok land 18 in often meant analysing bulk voters,” said Wilaiwan popular that the camp has
custody samples of tissue, producing Jongwilaikasaem, associate continued winning, no matter
a mushed-up average of dean for academic affairs what the party’s name, be it
THAILAND (The
results from many cell types. at Thammasat University’s the now-disbanded People
Nation) -- Sixteen
Thais and two It was like trying to learn Faculty of Journalism and Power Party or the current
Myanmar men were about a banana by studying a Mass Communication. Pheu Thai Party.
arrested in Bangkok strawberry-blueberry-orange- She notes that This time around, though,
on Sunday night for banana smoothie. traditional posters and many other parties are also
selling e-cigarette In recent years, however, banners were still being embracing populist policies.
devices, nicotine scientists have developed used to familiarise voters The main message
chargers and baraku techniques that let them directly with the candidates, candidates have been
(hookah) tobacco- study the DNA codes, the though some parties are delivering to voters has not
smoking products. activity of genes and other Researcher Peter Smibert at the NY Genome Centre in New also making good use of changed much, with many
Immigration Bureau traits of individual cells. The York demonstrates a step in single-cell RNA analysis on social media and info- parties’ political discourses
chief Pol Lt- approach has become widely Wednesday. --Photo AP graphics. still “trapped” in either
General Surachet adopted, revealing details about However, she said, there the fight for democracy or
Hakpal, speaking the body that couldn’t be shown DNA and its chemical cousin cells vulnerable. was still a lack of focus populist policies, said Titipol
in his capacity as before. And it has opened the RNA from individual cells And a pair of other studies on policies and the overall Phakdeewanich, dean of
deputy chief of the door to pursuing an audacious became broadly accessible, may affect research into cystic campaign is instead being political science at Ubon
Action Taskforce goal: listing every cell type according to the journal Nature fibrosis, the genetic disease that
used to propagate hate Ratchathani University.
for Information in the human body. Methods. New techniques are causes lung infections and limits
speech and smear rivals. The Democrat and
Technology Crime “Single-cell analysis is still being developed to pry breathing ability. Scientists have Voters will inevitably Future Forward parties are
Suppression, told crucial for a comprehensive more and more secrets out of long known that the disease have difficulty deciding leaning towards populism,
reporters on Monday understanding of our biology individual cells. stems from a faulty version whether some accusations in while the pro-junta Phalang
the arrests were and health,” Dr Francis The single-cell approach of protein called CFTR. The circulation are even factual, Pracharat is disguising its
made at several night Collins, the director of the is leading to a slew of studies identified a type of Wilaiwan said. policies under the theme of
markets. Twenty-one National Institutes of Health, discoveries. In just the past rare cell in the airway that “We expect the 7 million “reconciliation”, he said.
shops were found to declared recently. year, for example: makes large amounts of CFTR, first-time voters, including “But in reality, these
be selling the illegal In fact, the journal Science — Scientists closely surpassing earlier but only those who have just turned discourses do not reflect any
e-cigarette devices and named the techniques that tracked gene activity within dimly understood indications 18, to be enthusiastic about changes in Thai politics,”
baraku pipes and 18 allow single-cell tracking of fish and frog embryos, a step that such cells existed. casting their ballots. But he said.
people were arrested. gene activity over time in toward the longstanding goal The discovery offers what concerns me the most For instance, he said,
developing organisms and of understanding how a single great potential for guiding is whether their votes will be the Democrat and Future
Senior Conservatives organs as its “breakthrough fertilised egg can produce an the development of new ‘quality votes’.” Forward parties are offering
soften on May’s of the year” for 2018. Its animal. One study compiled treatments, said Dr. William Wilaiwan also wonders a welfare state but have
Brexit deal ahead of announcement declared, “The results from more than 92,000 Skach, senior vice president whether new voters will be yet to show how it will be
key vote single-cell revolution is just zebrafish embryonic cells. of research affairs for the able to play a major role in sustainable or if recipients
(China Daily) -- British starting.” — Other researchers Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. changing the face of politics, would be self-reliant.
Prime Minister Theresa A slew of discoveries revealed details of the Single-cell techniques will especially given such a short Phalang Pracharat Party is
May has received Even complicated animals physical connection between be important in studying them time before election day. relying on the reconciliation
an endorsement of like us are really just massive pregnant women and the further for coming up with Although some young discourse to explain why the
her Brexit deal from communities of cells, each fetus, giving potential clues new therapies, he said. (Two voters are interested enough military is still necessary to
the Conservatives’ taking on a particular role and for understanding some co-authors of one paper are to look into candidates’ maintain order. It doesn’t
backbench leader, working with its neighbors. causes of stillbirth. from the foundation). qualifications and verify understand true democracy,
who said he will An average adult human has — A study found a pattern At the MD Anderson whether claims made are Titipol said.
recommend that 37 trillion or so of them, and of gene activity in some C an cer C en t re o f t h e true or false, she pointed out The political discourse
Members of Parliament they’re surprisingly varied: melanoma cells that let them University of Texas, Nicholas that many more are attracted used by pro-junta parties is
support it – if the prime the inner lining of the colon, resist immunotherapy, the Navin uses single-cell DNA to specific candidates based undermining the progress of
minister secures new for example, has more than 50 practice of unleashing the studies to reveal different only on their celebrity status. Thai democracy, he added.
assurances on the Irish kinds of cells. body’s immune system on patterns of mutations in
backstop. It was just five years ago cancer. That might lead to various cells of a single tumor.
May’s hopes of that methods for decoding of finding a way to render those That lets him reconstruct
winning parliamentary when and where those
approval for her Brexit mutations appeared as the
deal grew as Graham tumor evolved from benign
Brady, the powerful cells. And he can identify cells
chairman of the 1922 that contain combinations of
Committee, said he mutations that make them the
is ready to drop his most lethal.
opposition to it. Someday, such research
The move is a should indicate what treatments
significant shift
to use for particular patients, or
and came as senior
government sources which patients have the highest
predicted that May risk of the disease progressing,
could hold the crucial he says. It might also allow
meaningful vote as doctors to check how well their A Thai pedestrian walks past electoral campaign posters
early as this week. treatments are working against installed next to an army tank outside the 2nd Cavalry Division
a cancer over time. King’s Guard in Bangkok, Thailand.
Vientiane Times Tuesday March 5, 2019 7
8 Tuesday March 5, 2019 Vientiane Times

Entertainment
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ stays
No. 1, ‘Madea’ a strong second
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- “How
To Train Your Dragon: The
Hidden World” topped the
North American box office for
a second week, but close on
its tail was Tyler Perry’s final
installment of the “Madea”
franchise. Driven by a largely
female audience, “A Madea
Family Funeral” had a better-
than-expected debut.
The third installment in the
“How To Train Your Dragon”
series grossed an estimated
US$30 million this weekend
according to Universal Pictures
on Sunday, bringing its domestic
total just shy of US$100 million.
Worldwide, the DreamWorks
Animation film has made over
US$375 million. In China alone
it opened in first place with
US$33.4 million.
Mr Trinh Bao holds the trophy as winner of the 13th Mister “A Madea Family Funeral”
International competition in the Philippines last year. took second place at the
domestic box office with an
with the big winners at the
Oscars, which took place last
Sunday.
Best-picture winner “Green
Book” got the biggest post-
Oscars bump, adding US$4.71
million over the weekend from
theaters. To date, “Green Book”
has earned US$75.2 million in
North America and US$188
million worldwide.
The Universal-distributed
film from Participant Media
more than doubled its theater
count to 2,641 theaters and
broke into the top 5 in its 16th
weekend, not to mention the fact
that it’s also available to rent on
the small screen too.
For comparison, last year’s
best picture winner “The Shape
of Water” added US$2.3 million
on the weekend following the
Academy Awards, although
that was playing in about 1,000
fewer theaters.
“Green Book” wasn’t the
only award-winner adding
profits this weekend. Best
Animated Feature winner
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-
Verse” banked an additional
US$2.1 million, the encore
version of “A Star Is Born”
with 12 additional minutes
of footage added US$1.9
million, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
earned US$975,000 and “The
Favourite” took in US$825,000.
“People wonder why
studios spend millions on
Oscar campaigns: They’re
getting a nice boost and adding
money even while they’re
available on the small screen,”
Dergarabedian said.
But overall the box office
continues to struggle industry-
wide. Both the year and the
weekend are down 26 percent,
in part due to the fact that
there hasn’t been any film
comparable to “Black Panther,”
which accounted for the stellar
early-year numbers in 2018.
Marvel is coming back
to save the day yet again,
however: “Captain Marvel”
opens nationwide next
weekend.

Mister International
estimated US$27 million,
a third best for the 15-year-
old franchise. The “Madea”

Laos searching films have never been all that

popular with critics — this one
splattered out with a 24 percent

for contestants on Rotten Tomatoes — but

audiences have never seemed
to care. This time around the
Sisouphan Amphonephong 39 countries. Mr Trinh Bao, audience, which was 67 percent This image released by Universal Pictures shows characters Astrid, voiced by America Ferrera,

M
ister International
Laos 2019 is
seeking good
looking Lao fellows with
confidence, talent and some
English language ability to
take part in the contest and
possibly represent Laos at
the international stage of
the competition later in
the year.
M r Vi e n g s a m o ne
Chittarath, who is the
Coordinator of the Mister
International Laos 2019
project, told Vientiane
Times his team is searching
for single Lao men aged
between 18 and 28 who
are at least 175 cm tall.
Some basic English skills
and knowledge of any
other languages will also
be looked upon favourably,
he said.
Mister International
2018 was held in the
Philippines last year and
attracted contestants from
a 24-year-old model and
gym coach from Ho Chi
Minh City, beat some stiff
competition to emerge the
conclusive winner with
a very polished overall
performance.
Mr Viengsamone said
the next Mister International
competition will be the
first one in which Laos has
fielded a contestant.
The project is at the
online casting stage now.
Candidates who are interested
in entering the competition
can message coordinators via
https://www.facebook.com/
misterinternationallaos/ or on
email misterinternationallaos@
gmail.com.
Three photos with some
personal details about the
candidate are required at this
initial stage of auditions.
Casting of shortlisted
candidates is likely to take
place at the end of April in
what promises to be a very
exciting competition.
female and 78 percent over the left, and Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation’s “How to
age of 25, gave the film a solid Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
A- CinemaScore.
“That character just
resonates,” said Comscore
senior media analyst Paul
Dergarabedian. “These films
are absolutely critic proof. The
audience has spoken and
they love Madea and they’re
saying goodbye.”
Further down the charts,
the Neil Jordan stalker-thriller
“Greta,” starring Isabelle
Huppert and Chloe Grace
Moretz, opened in eighth place
to a mediocre US$4.6 million.
“Greta was just another
newcomer released in 2019
that had a rough go in a slow
marketplace,” Dergarabedian
said. “This might have benefited
from a platform release given
the subject matter and the cast.”
The acclaimed documentary
“Apollo 11” also opened
on 120 IMAX screens to
US$1.65 million.
Many people, however,
used this weekend to catch-up

Khloe Kardashian absolves Woods

of homewrecking, not pain
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Khloe Kardashian is having
a change of heartache: She
blames Tristan Thompson, not
Jordyn Woods, for breaking
up her family.
In a series of tweets,
Kardashian went from calling
out Woods as a homewrecker
to absolving her of that. But
she didn’t forgive Woods
everything.
“What’s been harder &
more painful is being hurt
by someone so close to me.
Someone whom I love &
treat like a little sister. But
Jordyn is not to be blamed
for the breakup of my family.
This was Tristan’s fault,”
Kardashian posted Saturday
on Twitter.
Cleveland Cavalier player
Thompson is the father of
Kardashian’s baby, True.
Thompson’s agent Rich Paul
declined to comment.
Woods’ interview Friday
on Jada Pinkett Smith’s
Facebook Watch show,
“Red Table Talk,” prompted
Kardashian’s two-day tweet
barrage.
On Pinkett Smith’s show,
Woods sought to counter
social media speculation
over what happened with
Thompson when she and a
group of girlfriends went to a
party at the basketball player’s
Los Angeles home after a
night out.
 Business
Vientiane Times 9

Read more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la Tuesday March 5, 2019

Laos’ telecoms minister praises Huawei for helping

with Lao digital transformation Minister and his delegation
Advertorial Desk services, and business

O
n the opening
day of the Mobile
World Congress
(MWC) in
Barcelona, Spain, last week, protocols, and operations &Sole Co., Ltd.
Huawei appeared in full force maintenance (O&M).
with a host of exhibitions,
forums, and keynotes, as
well as holding a wide range
of discussions with operator
customers and partners from
around the world.
At this year’s Mobile
World Congress, Huawei is
expanding on the theme of
“Building a Fully Connected, advancements in science andeconomic growth and enrich
Intelligent World”.
Huawei has been
committed to helping
operators expand their
business boundaries and
achieve new growth through
innovations in networks,
Industry leaders crowd around the Huawei booth at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in “Huawei is a leading global Laos.”
Barcelona, Spain.
models. To this end, Huaweiwere warmly received by
Mr James Wu, president of
is presenting its end-to-end
Huawei Southeast Asia and
5G products and solutions at
Mr Mark Wang, CEO of
the event, such as simplified
5G sites, architecture, Huawei Technologies (Lao)
In a meeting held on the
occasion, Mr James updated
These new offerings will
the Minister on Huawei’s
help operators quickly deploy
2018 performance in the
5G networks on a large scale.
5G has arrived, and AI global arena and Laos.
has become a new general- They had a fruitful
discussion about the future
p u r p o s e t e c h n o l o g y.
Innovation will never end 5G development in Laos.
and humanity will continue Huawei believes that the 5G
to develop, driven by era is coming and it will boost
technology. The intelligentpeople’s lives accordingly.
world of the future will be Both sides shared
a “Digital Village” where opinions on enacting
everyone is included and relevant policies and laws Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Dr Thansamay Kommasith (centre), and his
closely connected. for improving the telecom delegation visit Huawei cutting-edge products and solutions at the Huawei exhibition booth
market business environment at the GSMA Mobile World Congress.
During their visit to the
to inspire operators to invest
Huawei exhibition booth, the
more in user experience. and smart devices, and a 2019, MWC Barcelona, is
“We are committed reliable partner for the Lao the largest mobile event in
to developing the digital ICT market. Over the past the world, bringing together
economy of Laos, and years, Huawei has continued the latest innovations and
collaborating with partners to bring the most advanced leading-edge technologies
to build a digital ecosystem. technology to Laos and has from more than 2,400
“Huawei is committed contributed a lot to the leading companies, with
to build a fully-connected, development of Laos’ ICT a highly-rated conference
intelligent Laos and along technologies. I believe programme, assembling
the way Huawei would Huawei can make a greater today’s visionaries to explore
like to work with the Lao contribution to Lao digital the hottest topics influencing
government to promote social t r a n s f o r m a t i o n i n t h e the industry.
and economic development future. MWC Barcelona
with our own ICT expertise “I hope Huawei will features extensive learning
and technology strengths in showcase more advanced opportunities from dozens
Laos,” Mr James Wu said. technologies and solutions of partner-led programmes,
The Minister praised at the upcoming Lao ICT GSMA seminars, summits
Huawei’s long presence and Expo and continue to support and more. Everything you
dedication in Laos. He said the digital transformation of need to know about the
industry, today and beyond,
provider of ICT infrastructure Mobile World Congress can be found here.

March 4, 2019

8.549 8.576

0,3724 0,3799

274.06 276.11

9.681 9.731

1.199 1.223
10 Business Tuesday March 5, 2019
UK trade official sees hope in Brexit
hard-liners’ proposals
LONDON (AP) -- Britain’s
international trade secretary
on Sunday welcomed
proposals drawn up by hard-
line Brexit supporters that
outline what it would take
for them to support Prime
Minister Theresa May’s deal
with the European Union.
Liam Fox told the BBC
that the European Research
Group’s proposals, published
in the Sunday Times, could
be seen as an attempt to
find common ground on
the sticky issue of the Irish
border.
“I hope it’s a genuine
attempt, and I think it is,
to try to map out ground
where we can have common
territory” before the House of
Commons votes on the deal
next week, Fox told the BBC.
Parliament rejected
May’s deal in January,
largely because of concerns
about the so-called backstop,
which is designed to prevent
the need for physical border
checks along the Irish border
if negotiators fail to agree on
a free-trade deal. Lawmakers
on all sides opposed the
provisions because they
The flag of the European Union and the British national flags
are flown on poles during a demonstration by remain in the
EU outside spporters the Palace of Westminster in London.
could leave Britain tied to
the EU indefinitely.
In its published proposal,
the European Research
Group demanded a “clear
and unconditional route out
of the backstop.”
While the group didn’t
detail how its goal should
be achieved, it said the
change must be contained
in a treaty-level clause that
“unambiguously overrides”
the text of the current
agreement.
Graham Brady, chairman
of the influential 1922
Committee of Conservative
lawmakers, expressed
optimism that a breakthrough
was close. Brady suggested
he could back May’s deal if
the right compromise on the
backstop emerged.
“The whole country
is tired of vacillation and
delay,” he wrote in the Mail
on Sunday, adding that “this
is not a time to make the best
the enemy of the good.”
“We know what is needed
to shift the logjam,” he said.
“The attorney general needs
to give a legally binding
guarantee that the backstop
is temporary.”
Meanwhile, the
opposition Labour Party
remained divided over its
next moves after party leader
Jeremy Corbyn last week
supported calls for a second
Brexit referendum.
John McDonnell,
Labour’s spokesman on
treasury issues, signaled
S u n d ay t h at t h e p a r t y
was likely to force its
lawmakers to back
legislation on a new
referendum. But former
minister Caroline Flint
told Sky News that up to
70 of Labour’s lawmakers
would oppose any such
move.
Corbyn had an egg
thrown at him Sunday
during a visit to a north
London mosque. The
Labour leader was not hurt
and met with constituents at
the Finsbury Park Mosque
and Muslim Welfare House
as planned, according to
Britain’s Press Association.
A 41-year-old man was
“quickly detained” and
arrested on suspicion of
assault, the Metropolitan
Police department said.
Indonesia, Australia
signing agreement to
boost trade
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)
-- Indonesia and Australia
were to sign a free trade
agreement Monday that will
eliminate many tariffs, allow
Australian-owned hospitals
to be set up in the giant
Southeast Asian country
and increase work visas for
young Indonesians.
Trade ministers from the
two countries were to sign the
agreement, negotiations for
which first began in 2010, at a
Jakarta hotel with Indonesia’s
Vice President Jusuf Kalla
looking on. It is subject to
ratification in both countries.
Annual trade between
Australia and Indonesia is
valued at US$11.6 billion.
Though neighbors, their
trade is relatively small
with Indonesia’s exports to
Australia just 1.5 percent of
its total exports.
Major details of the
agreement were announced
by Australia last September
after leaders of the two
countries said negotiations
had been completed. The
text of the agreement is
expected to be released after
the signing.
Australia says 99 percent
of its exports to Indonesia
will be tariff free or have
improved preferential
Vientiane Times
access by 2020, up from
85 percent under an
existing trade agreement
between Australia,
New Zealand and 10
Southeast Asian countries.
Indonesia already enjoys
substantially tariff-free
access to the Australian
market under that agreement.
The Australia-Indonesia
agreement will allow
Australian companies to
have majority ownership
of investments in various
industries in Indonesia
including healthcare,
telecommunications, energy,
mining and aged care.
Separately, Indonesia is
considering allowing foreign
companies to invest in higher
education, which along with
hospitals, is an area the
country is lagging far behind
international standards.
Australia’s live cattle
exports are set to increase
under the agreement with
tariffs to be eliminated and the
number of animal exported to
Indonesia allowed to increase
4 percent a year until reaching
700,000.
Australian working
holiday visas for young
Indonesians will be increased
to 6,000 a year from the
current 1,000 over six years.
Vientiane Times
The Vientiane Motor Show 2019 at Lao-ITECC.
Lao vehicle market forecast
to grow this year
Times Reporters
The vehicle market in Laos
is likely to accelerate this
year as the government has
improved its trade promotion
policy and car manufacturers
are offering incentives to
boost sales.
The demand for cars has
slowed in recent years due to
reduced purchasing power.
An analysis showed that many
Lao people already owned
cars, while slower economic
growth and the suspension of
some development projects
were among the factors that
resulted in a dip in demand.
But demand is projected to
increase in 2019, particularly
for small and medium-sized
cars, which people prefer
because they are inexpensive
and use less fuel.
Small and medium-sized
cars costing US$20,000
to US$30,000 sold well at
the motor show last year,
Chinese govt to propose plan for more
reductions in taxes, fees
CHINA (China Daily/ANN)
-- The government will
propose a detailed plan to
the top legislature this week
to reduce taxes and fees, with
an annual target that would
cut more than 1.3 trillion
yuan (US$194 billion) to
promote manufacturing
and strengthen private
companies’ confidence, high-
ranking officials said.
The 2019 tax cut plan,
which is more aggressive
than last year’s, will focus
on lowering value-added
tax rates, an official in the
Ministry of Finance told
China Daily. The official
asked not to be named
because details were not yet
authorized for release.
Premier Li Keqiang is
scheduled to deliver the
annual Government Work
Report at the opening of the
second session of the 13th
National People’s Congress
on Tuesday, and more details
about the tax arrangement are
expected to be revealed.
Some additional
accounting for 50 percent of
total sales.
The signs are good for
the Lao vehicle market, the
organiser of the Vientiane
Motor Show 2019, Mr
Phonechan Phaengsouvanh,
told Vientiane Times.
However, the luxury car
market will remain stable or
may even slow because of
sluggish economic growth
and the poor condition of
the country’s roads. “Many
people don’t want to buy
such cars for their daily
commute,” he said.
The Vientiane Motor
Show 2019 is taking place
in parallel with similar events
in neighbouring countries,
and taking into account the
fact that people tend to have
more purchasing power at the
start and end of the year.
The event aims to boost
the auto business and sales
growth, as well as increase
competition within the
information may be released
about lowering corporations’
social security payment rate,
the ministry official said.
China achieved its goal
to cut about 1.3 trillion yuan
in taxes and fees in 2018,
including the value-added
tax, individual income taxes
and corporate income taxes
for small and medium-sized
enterprises, according to the
ministry.
Ren Rongfa, deputy
head of the State Taxation
Administration, said that
tax and fee cuts figure
prominently in the tax
authorities’ work this year.
“We have updated the tax
levy system and statistical
accounting system to prepare
for the further reduction,”
Ren said.
Ren added that 31
municipalities and provincial-
level governments have all
issued tax-cut plans for local
taxes.
If the tax cut proposals
are passed by the NPC, the
value-added taxes may be
automotive industry in Laos.
The growth of the vehicle
market will contribute to
the overall growth of
the economy and related
businesses in Laos, said Mr
Phonechan.
Laos currently imports
several brands of car from
neighbouring countries,
while some are assembled
within Laos.
According to the
Department of Public Works
and Transport’s figures, the
number of vehicles in Laos
increased by 8.17 percent
in 2015, compared to the
previous year, up from
1,577,184 to 1,717,504
vehicles, including 1,326,868
motorcycles, 337,449 cars,
and 53,187 trucks.
Vientiane recorded the
largest number of vehicles
at 721,882, followed by
Savannakhet province
(273,279) and Champassak
province (145,289).
lowered by 800 billion yuan
overall, according to Robin
Xing, chief economist in
China for Morgan Stanley.
He expected the VAT rates
to be lowered by 1 to 2
percentage points for each
tax bracket.
“The move is likely to
lift companies’ profits by 2
percent,” Xing said. “The
effect will be seen later in
lower consumer product
prices and higher profits
by manufacturers.”
Since May 2018, the
VAT rate was lowered
from 17 percent to 16
percent for manufacturing
and some other industries,
and from 11 percent to 10
percent for transportation,
construction, basic
telecommunication
services and farm produce.
China’s VAT rates for
manufacturers remains
higher than other Asian
countries, including Japan
(8 percent) and Vietnam
(10 percent), according to
Morgan Stanley.
India to deepen ties with Asean
THAILAND (The Nation/
ANN) -- India is expected
to strengthen economic
ties with Thailand and
the Asean region in 2019
through joining the Regional
Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) and its
participation in the on-going
trilateral highway project.
“Despite India’s concerns
about its trade deficits with
Asean countries and China,
it would be missing out on
a key economic opportunity
to establish a presence in the
fast-growing Asean region if
it did not join the RCEP,” said
Piyanat Soikham, lecturer
in politics and international
relations at Ubon Ratchathani
U n i v e r s i t y, d u r i n g a n
exclusive interview with
The Nation.
If negotiations succeeded,
RCEP would be the largest
multilateral trade pact in
history – encompassing
China, India, Japan, South
Korea, Australia, New
Zealand and the 10 Asean
nations.
In 2018, Thailand posted a
Bt85.571 billion trade surplus
with India, with Bt243.477
billion in exports compared
with a mere Bt158 billion
of imports, according to the
Thai Commerce Ministry.
“The Asean region, and
the CLMVT (Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam
and Thailand) subregion, in
particular, is the geopolitical
centre of Asia,” explained
Piyanat, noting that the
region connects East Asia
with South Asia, a link
between the two economic
powers of China and India.
Oil refiners appear passive toward
government’s hydrogen drive
SOUTH KOREA (The Korea
Herald/ANN) -- Despite the
South Korean government’s
ambitious plans to create
a hydrogen economy this
year, oil refiners appear to be
taking a passive stance, citing
questions over profitability.
I n J a n u a r y, t h e
government announced
its road map to boost the
hydrogen economy, produce
6.2 million fuel cell vehicles
by 2040 and eventually
become the largest hydrogen
car producer in the world.
The government said
50,000 tons of byproduct
hydrogen are currently
available to fuel 250,000
hydrogen cars. Byproduct
hydrogen is made in the
process of refining oil and
making petrochemicals and
steel.
In Korea, four major oil
refining companies -- S-Oil,
GS Caltex, Hyundai Oilbank
and SK Innovation -- produce
hydrogen byproducts
through oil refining and
petrochemical facilities in
which they recently invested.
But some industry insiders
say hydrogen byproducts
from the oil refiners may not
Tuesday March 5, 2019
He commented that India’s
trade strategy complements
that of the Asean region, both
championing multilateralism
over unilateralism in trade
negotiation processes.
“Furthermore, the RCEP
represents the notion of
‘Asean Centrality’, and with
India’s ‘Act East’ policy, it is
important that India does not
lose out on this opportunity
to further integrate with
the Asean region to reap
the economic benefits of
multilateral trade,” he said.
As Asean chair, Thailand
has prioritised the completion
of RCEP negotiations this
year in its regional economic
agenda.
But Piyanat has expressed
concerns about Thailand’s
own internal issues in regards
to achieving this goal.
“Thailand’s upcoming
election will have an impact
on the Kingdom’s foreign
affair ambitions, including
the RCEP talks,” he said.
“The polls may hinder
efforts of the Commerce
Ministry towards conclusion
of the RCEP negotiations
this year.”
However, Piyanat said the
talks may indirectly hasten
progress of the Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC),
which has been in existence
since 1997.
BIMSTEC is a
multinational organisation
comprising Thailand,
M y a n m a r, I n d i a , S r i
Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and
Bangladesh.
“The conversation
be enough to use for fueling
hydrogen cars because the
firms began to diversify
their business into non-oil
refining businesses, such as
rechargeable batteries.
SK Innovation, which
is the nation’s largest oil-
refining firm and has recently
expanded into petrochemicals,
said, “Although we produce
hydrogen byproducts, we
have to reuse them for the
chemical process, and it is
significantly insufficient.”
The government said
the estimate of 50,000 tons
was made based on the past
industry data but it can be
changed based on demand
and supply.
Kim Pyung-joong, an
executive of the Korea
Petrochemical Industry
Association, said hydrogen
byproducts could satisfy
the government’s needs in
the short term, but things
may change in the future,
as it is still “not generous”
because byproducts are
not something that can be
produced arbitrarily.
Last week, Hyundai
Motor announced it would
invest 8 trillion won to build
Business 11
surrounding India-Asean
relations through the RCEP
talks may reinvigorate
initiatives to increase
regional cooperation in the
BIMSTEC, which goes
beyond trade,” Piyanat
claimed.
Cooperation between
BIMSTEC countries may
strengthen in the areas of
cross-border environment
and disaster management,
counterterrorism and
transnational crime, as well
as fisheries, he said.
Trilateral highway, a
flagship project between
India and the Asean region,
is expected to be completed
this year connecting Moreh
in India with Mae Sot in
Thailand through Myanmar,
Piyanat said.
“The trilateral highway,
a realisation of India’s ‘Act
East’ policy, represents a
physic a l c o n n e c t i o n
between India and
Thailand, which lies in
the centre of the Asean
region,” he said, adding
that up to 90 percent of the
construction process has
been completed.
With the final
negotiation of the
trilateral highway being
border regulations, the
construction of the trilateral
highway suggested that
India is ready to open up
her market to foreign goods
and deepen its economic
integration with the Asean
region.
This gives the RCEP
negotiations a positive
prospect going forward,
Piyanat said.
500,000 hydrogen cars by
2030.
Another insider of an
oil refining company, who
asked for anonymity, said,
“It seems the government
began the move without fully
having related infrastructure.
Since the technology to
produce hydrogen is in the
early stages, the nation may
have turn to imported fuel if
it wants to push the drive.”
Charging stations are also
another obstacle.
Despite the world’s first
title, Korea is still behind
in the distribution of fuel-
cell cars due to the lack of
infrastructure for producing,
storing and charging fuel
cells. As of October 2018,
5,715 cars were sold in
the US, 3,359 cars were
distributed in Japan, 926
cars in Europe and 794 cars
in Korea.
There are currently only
nine stations nationwide, with
only two in Seoul, though the
government aims to produce
4,000 hydrogen cars this
year. This is compared to
Japan, which is a rival in
hydrogen. It has more than
100 charging stations.
12 Tuesday March 5, 2019 Vientiane Times

Dining out

Home owner turns house and garden into popular eatery

Viengdavanh Banphahaksa

With so many restaurants

opening up in Vientiane
it’s becoming harder and
harder to make a choice, but
one excellent option is the
intimate Banmou Café in
Sisattanak district.
This is a great venue
for families and groups of
friends. The café serves
up high quality dishes in a
vintage style environment,
and is set in the comfortable
ambience of the owner’s
small house.
Menu highlights are fried
saba fish, salads, barbeques,
and steak. This charming
venue has sparked a lot of
interest and a good response
from local and foreign
customers over the years.
The cafe is owned and
managed by Mr Vilasine
Salamany, 40, who enjoys
both cooking and growing
vegetables organically in his
garden.
He told Vientiane Times
that he opened the café at his
house on January 10, 2017.
He caters to all types of
people - tourists, government
officials, private sector
employees, and families.
The food is meticulously
and cleanly prepared, with
special care given to the
Banmou Café owner Mr
Vilasine Salamany.
vegetables that Mr Vilasine
grows in his garden. Prices
are very reasonable, with
steak dishes starting at just
35,000 kip.
The café also serves tasty
fruit drinks as well as more
exotic concoctions for diners
having a party. Banmou is
open for dinner from 5pm
to 11pm every Tuesday to
Saturday.
Prices range from 18,000
kip for fried food to 75,000
kip for beef steak. Customers
also can make a reservation
for a birthday party or school
or office parties, with groups
ranging in size from 40-100
accepted.
The eatery usually attracts
about 30-50 patrons per day
for dinner, with people from
all walks of life turning up
Some of the most popular dishes served at the café. --Photos Banmou Café
to enjoy the café’s special
ambience.
Mr Vilasine says the cafe
has generated a lot of interest
since it opened and attracted
people from all over
Vientiane. Diners have
expressed satisfaction with
the menu and the service
provided by the staff.
O n e c u s t o m e r, M s
Loukpa Mardmanysone,
said she liked the
atmosphere and the food at
Banmou and goes there for
dinner with her friends and
family, mainly because Diners enjoy a meal in an outdoor setting.
of the good food and the
reasonable prices. It’s easy to find as it’s located Singha Park. and special promotions at
The café can cater for in Saphanthong Neua village, If you haven’t been there Banmou Cafe’s Facebook
up to 100 customers a day. Sisattanak district, near 23 yet, check out the menu page: Banmou café.

Vacancy Announcements

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRACY UNITY PROSPERITY
Mekong Integrated Water Resources Management Project (M-IWRMP):Additional Financing
(AF)
Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute. (NRERI)
Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE)
IDA Project No.: M-IWRMP (P-159447)
Consulting services for Conducting of Topographic data
and River Cross Section Survey for Xebanghiang and Xebangfai
(Procurement No.: C2.3-ICS-002)
The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic towards the cost of the National Integrated Water Resource
Management Programme (N-IWRMP) funds under the Mekong Integrated Water Resource Management Project
(M-IWRMP) Additional Financing funded by the World Bank thru the International Development Association (IDA)
intends to apply part of the proceeds to eligible payments under the Contract for which this Request for Expression of
Interest is issued by Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute. (NRERI) under the Ministry of Natural
Resource and Environment (MONRE)as Implementing Agency for Component 2.3 of M-IWRMP.
The Mekong Integrated Water Resource Management Project (M-IWRMP) AF: Component 2.3 of NRERI now invites
reputable Architectural or Engineering Firms provide the following consulting services for the Consulting services
for Conducting of Topographic data and River Cross Section Survey for Xebanghiang and Xebangfai.
Since 1963 and in 146 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to
succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development
organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise
development, community development and food security to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant
civil society. ACDI/VOCA currently has approximately 36 projects in 18 countries and total revenues of $128 million.
Overview
ACDI/VOCA has obtained an operating permit for Lao PDR and is currently in the process of agreeing a Memoran-
dum of Understanding in collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to implement the activity
USAID Laos Microenterprise. The objective of the Activity is to contribute to overall socio-economic development
in Lao PDR, specifically focusing on microenterprises (primarily smallholder farmers).
ACDI/VOCA is currently seeking for experienced and talented Lao professionals for multiple (19) full-time job
opportunities based in Xiengkhouang, Lao PDR. Key positions are listed below: For detailed job descriptions, details
for applying and selection criteria, please follow the link in each job summary below.
PARTNERSHIP ADVISOR
Designs and implements market facilitation strategies and interventions that impact the competitiveness, inclu-
siveness, and resilience of microenterprises (primarily smallholder farmers). S/he leadsteams dedicated to specific
value chains andor market system interventions to promote increased competitiveness of market actors as well
as improved and expanded products, services, and market access for small-scale producers.S/he facilitates the
development of relationships among buyers, input suppliers, producers and other market actors. Further details
at: http://directoryofngos.org/ingo2/job/5674

Qualifications and Experience Required: MEL MANAGER

• Reputable firm with combined with Engineering Consultancy with At least (5) year experience on geographic,
topographic and river cross section surveys;
• Proven record on successful completion of at least five (5) assignments related to geographic, topographic and
river cross section surveys;
• Have survey equipment including topographical, river cross section survey (current meter and acoustic doppler
current profiler) tools;
• Relevant experiences in Lao PDR are beneficial.
• Consultancy firms shall have a Team Leader/Civil Engineer a Graduate in Civil Engineering with At least, a
Bachelor’s degree in survey/civil engineering or relevant field. At least 10 years of progressive experience in
geography, topographical and river cross section survey or similar fields and at least 5 years as a team leader
supervising the team on surveying river cross sections.
A firm will be selected under Consultant’s Qualifications (CQS) procedures as specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines:
Procurement under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits - Selection and Employment of Consultants, January 2011 revised
July 2014 edition, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest, which can be found at the following
website: www.worldbank.org/procure.
Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (CVs with academic
background including experience in similar conditions, description of similar assignments, availability of appropriate
skills among staff, with their signatures, etc.).
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 08:00 to 16:00 hours, from Monday
to Friday (Standard Lao PDR time).
Expressions of Interest (hard copy and soft copy) must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person,
or by postal mail or e-mail) by 08 March 2019.
Ensures the Activity records evidence-based impact, accountability, and data quality. S/he will extend dynamic,
targeted support to help the Activity teams set a high standard in measuring program performance by building a
culture of measurement, adaptive management and learning. Managing the M&E team, s/he will be responsible
for and collection and dissemination of results data.Further details at: http://directoryofngos.org/ingo2/job/5671
TRAINING AND GROUP CAPACITY BUILDING COORDINATOR
Leads the delivery of the Activity training program, which will build the entrepreneurial capacity of smallholder
farmers to operate as microenterprises.S/he will be responsible for training program implementation and adaptation,
providing training and managing Activity Field Officers and overseeing all training activities, including coordination
of resources and personnel. Further details at: http://directoryofngos.org/ingo2/job/5675
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Provides managerial, logistical, human resources, procurement and administrative support required for the manage-
ment of an office and team including management of general services/facilities and logistics. Ensures the activity’s
compliance with all relevant regulations, including local labor laws and ACDI/VOCA internal policies. Further details
at: http://directoryofngos.org/ingo2/job/5673
Other vacancies for this Activity include: Finance and Accounting Manager, Accountant, Communications Of-
ficer, MIS Database Specialist and Field Officers (Senior and Junior).
Job descriptions, details for applying and selectioncriteria for all of these vacancies can be found at: http://
directoryofngos.org/ingo2/job
ACDI/VOCA offers its employees a competitive salary and allowances that are in line with local prevailing practices.

Mr. Bounpakone Phongphichit To Apply:

Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment Please submit your most current CV and a letter of interest by email to LaosRecruit@joinav.org. In the subject line,
Department of Planning and Cooperation please include the position title. The CV should list long-term employment history and any relevant short-term
National Project Manager-NPMU-MIWRMP AF consulting work. Only those candidates considered for an interview will be contacted. ACDI/VOCA is an equal
Tel: +8562055928951 opportunity employer. Women, minorities and people from diverse groups are encouraged to apply. The closing
Email: bounpakone2012@gmail.com date for all applications is Monday 25th March 2019.
Vientiane Times
Seven-Eleven, franchisee face
off over 24-hour operations
TOKYO (The Japan News/
ANN) -- Seven-Eleven Japan
Co. and one of its franchisees
are facing off after the outlet
owner decided to stop its
24-hour operations due to
difficulties in recruiting part-
timers.
Nowadays shoppers
use convenience stores for
purposes such as paying
utility fees, and the existence
of such outlets plays a
part in crime prevention,
making them function as
life infrastructure bases for
local communities. The
latest confrontation between
franchisor and franchisee will
likely stir a debate.
Starting this month, a
Seven-Eleven outlet in the
Minamikamikosaka district
in Higashiosaka, Osaka
Prefecture, reduced its
business hours to 19 hours
a day - opening from 6 a.m.
to 1 am. The decision was
made because it was unable
to secure part-timers, and
the franchise owner of the
shop concluded it would be
difficult to keep the store
open around the clock.
Following the move,
the franchise owner was
then reportedly requested
by the chain’s headquarters
to pay about ¥17 million
for breach of contract, but
the owner insists on the
need to shorten the shop’s
operation time. When it gets
difficult to recruit employees,
franchise owners could be
forced to work on their days
off to cover staff shortages,
resulting in long working
hours.
In response, Seven-
Eleven Japan released a
statement on Wednesday in
which the franchise chain’s
headquarters said, “Seven-
Eleven stores have been
playing roles not only to sell
goods, but also to operate as
social infrastructure.” The
headquarters also said in the
statement that it “will support
the store so that it will be
able to continue 24-hour
operations,” expressing its
intention to continue talks
Vientiane Times on CD-ROM
Issues of Vientiane Times from 1994 to
February 2019 have been recorded on
CD-ROM. Now available at Vientiane Times
office. Phonpapao Village, Unit 32, Sisattanak
district,Vientiane.
P.O. Box: 5723,
Tel: (856-21) 336042, 336048.
Fax: (856-21) 336041.
Email: info@vientianetimes.la
with the franchise owner in
Higashiosaka.
Most operators in the
convenience store industry,
in principle, keep their shops
open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. Of about 50,000
total outlets of the three
major convenience store
chain operators in Japan -
Seven-Eleven, FamilyMart
Co. and Lawson, Inc. - stores
that open on reduced hours
account for only 3 percent to
5 percent. Many of them are
located in such places as train
stations and office buildings,
which are closed during the
night.
Convenience stores
also function as basic
infrastructure where
shoppers use ATM services
and pay utility fees. Many
convenience stores have
made agreements with local
authorities to serve, among
other purposes, as bases for
providing support to those
who are stranded at times of
disaster.
In addition, store
management is also designed
based round-the-clock
operations, as merchandise
delivery and cleaning,
for instance, are mainly
conducted late at night when
there are fewer customers.
There also is a high demand
for 24-hour operations
among consumers. Lawson
once reduced opening hours
at some of its outlets on a
trial basis, but it generated
a negative impact on the
number of both daytime and
nighttime customers, as well
as on sales.
However, severe labor
shortages have prompted
some operators in the
distribution and restaurant
industries to reduce opening
hours. Royal Host Co.
ended 24-hour operations
at all of its outlets in 2017.
In the convenience store
industry, a similar move
has been taken. Hokkaido-
based Secoma Co., which
operates Seicomart stores,
only keeps about 20 percent
of its outlets open around the
A notice explaining reduced opening hours is seen at a Seven-Eleven store in the Minamikamikosaka district of Higashiosaka,
Osaka Prefecture.
clock.
In South Korea, which time for companies as well step up getting involved with improving labor shortages.”
surpasses Japan in the number
of convenience stores per
capita, it became illegal in
2014 to force franchisees
to have their shops open 24
hours.
Lawson has set up an
e m p l o y m e n t a g e n c y, The Clean Agriculture Development Project (CADP) is implemented by Department of Agriculture
introducing personnel to its
outlets. Convenience store
operators have introduced
self-checkout machines in an
effort to reduce manpower,
or have been working on
measures to realize unmanned
operations in some of their
outlets.
However, an industry
source said, “It will still
take some time to drastically
improve the labor shortage
situation.”
“It is a too heavy burden
for franchise owners to
undertake a role to operate
[their stores as bases for]
basic living infrastructure,”
said distribution analyst
Tuesday March 5, 2019 Feature 13
--Photo the Jakarta Post
Hiroaki Watanabe. “It is as the central government to measures to work toward
(DOA), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA), aiming to promote the supply of products from Organic Agriculture (OA) and Good
Agriculture Practices (GAP) based on market needs in Vientiane Capital,Luang Prabang,
XiengKhouang and Sayabouly Provinces.
The Project is seeking a Secretary to work as a team member of CADP with Japanese Experts.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. To support the project team to collaborate with MAF and other related Lao governmental
organizations/agencies, through making appointments and other necessary
communicationand arrangements requested by the project team.
2. To interpret / translate documents necessary for the operation of the project from Lao to
English and vice versa as necessary.
3. To coordinate and handle logistics for missions, workshops, meetings and other events
related to the project operation.
4. To make travel arrangements for the project team and Lao counterparts.
5. To manage necessary procedures concerning VISA, ID, work permit, car registration,
insurance, etc. to avail Japanese experts’ activities in Lao P.D.R.
6. To assist the project team in procurement of the goods and services, such as collecting
quotations, preparing documents, inspecting delivery, etc.
7. To support Project Coordinator in accounting.
8. To handle other routine and administrative matters.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCES
1. At least 3 years of experience as a secretary of the foreign mission, projects or international
organizations.
2. Excellent communication skills (speaking, listening, writing and reading) in English and Lao
languages are essential.
3. University degreeor above; public administration or business administration are
preferred;however any other majors can be accepted depending on the applicant’s capacity.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
1. Ability and willingness to work as a member of the team.
2. Ability to work independently with a minimum direction and supervision.
3. Proficiency in computer skills; MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook are essential.
4. Strong commitment to learn and self-improvement in any situation.
5. Experience in procurement, ticketing and accounting would be an asset.
DURATION OF CONTRACT
A provisionary period of two (2) months from 1 April 2019, with a possible extension on yearly
basis, given satisfactory performances and workload demands.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit a Curriculum Vitae with photo, covered by an application letter in English
explaining your interest and qualifications by e-mail to the followingaddress:
Yoshihiko246r@gmail.com
DEADLINE
14:00, Friday 15thMarch 2019
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
14 Tuesday March 5, 2019
Opinion
Streetwis
e What are you doing to protect Laos’ wildlife?
World Wildlife Day on March 3 each year highlights the importance of protecting the diversity of the
planet’s animal kingdom and highlights the fact that we all have a part to play in preserving wild plants
and animals. Vientiane Times asked experts and members of the public how they contribute to the
Phouthong Sivongsa
Mr Bounpone Sookmexay,
Communications Manager
at World Wide Fund for
Nature in Laos: World
Wide Fund for Nature in
Laos (WWF-Laos) has
partnered with the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry
to carry out research and
mapping of household land
use and holdings incomes
as well as gathering
information on other socio-
economic parameters.
Our aim is to work with
villagers to support
them in the observance
of forest and wildlife
conservation strategies.
We have supported
conservation work within
the Nam Poui National
Biodiversity Conservation
Area in Phiang district,
Xayaboury province, for
the past 10 years. We focus
conservation of wild animals.
particularly on patrolling
and law enforcement but
pay attention to initiatives
aimed at reducing human-
elephant conflict and
other projects that protect
biodiversity. Out of concern
for the livelihood of villages
and wanting to protect
the natural resources of
the Conservation Area,
WWF-Laos funded a
detailed forest and land
use planning exercise. In
the near future we will
work with the provincial
authorities in Saravan and
Xekong to improve the
livelihoods of people living
in conservation forest areas,
ensure forest conservation
laws are upheld, and
implement regular work
to regenerate areas of
forest that may have been
damaged.
Mr Sansani
Khodphouthone: an expert
with World Wide Fund
for Nature in Laos: I have
Vientiane Times
been working with World
Wide Fund for Nature in
Laos for four years. I love
this job because I get to
spend a lot of time in the
forest and get to see many
different animals. I have
learnt lots of amazing
things about Laos’ natural
environment and I love
animals too. Working is fun
for me and I can do it all
day and not feel tired. We
are currently working on a
project to raise awareness
of wildlife conservation in
rural communities. When
we are sending a team in to
observe animals we invite these animals that others and stop hunting animals,
village people along so they go hunting. In my opinion particularly the endangered
can learn about human- everyone should leave the species. I’ve seen fashion
animal interactions. animals alone. If there is shows with designer clothes
no buyer then there will be and products made from
Mrs Let, a resident of no seller. Animals are our animal skins such as tigers,
Champassak province: I friends and they want to go crocodiles, elephants. This
don’t know much about this on living just like humans is something I don’t want
do. to see. Actually, I don’t
understand why people
Ms Moukdavan Xayasone: want to hurt animals at all.
a student in Sikhottabong I would like all hunting to
district, Vientiane: I don’t stop so that animals can be
think we should eat wild around us forever.
animals. Some of them
aren’t good for your health
and the authorities should
ensure that rural people
are well informed about
issues surrounding animal
conservation. I don’t eat
issue but sometimes I see wild animals because I
wildlife for sale in markets. don’t want to contribute
I know that it’s because to any extinctions. We all
some people like to eat need to preserve our world
Vientiane Times Tuesday March 5, 2019 Opinion 15

Statistics scandal shows depths of

Japanese labour ministry’s dysfunction
J A PA N ( T h e Yo m i u r i and Welfare Ministry must interim report released in pages, sheds light on the more complicated if irregularities. It cited the lack
Shimbun/ANN) -- It has been take the situation seriously January had been called into demeanor of bureaucrats, the irregularities were of elaborate arrangements and
determined that a practice and rebuild its organisation. question, the probe excluded characterised by a rampant corrected. A ministry unit thorough preparations as the
of continuing operations The ministry’s special labour ministry officials as tendency to dodge trouble chief also explained that the reason.
that distorted fundamental inspection committee has investigators and expanded and repeatedly break minor data were not adjusted from During Diet deliberations,
statistics for many years compiled a second report the scope of those subject to rules. It is appalling to think a standpoint of ensuring the opposition parties have
resulted from bureaucrats’ on the compilation of the probe. that such bureaucrats were “continuity.” Their sense of criticized the report, with one
flagrant neglect of their monthly labour statistics. The latest report, in charge of fundamental compliance with the norms member saying, “A report
duties. The Health, Labour As the neutrality of an running to more than 20 statistics, which became the is too low. that says officials lied but did
basis for government policy Discuss constructively not conceal is odd.” Sticking
JOB OPPORTUNITY formation. The circumstances to an excessively meticulous
Violating a rule that that kept the blunder from definition of a cover-up can
Project Manager requires all large businesses coming to light are also hardly be called productive.
to be covered in the statistical stunning. The ministry’s Instead, it is necessary to dig
for CarBi 2 Project, WWF-Laos surveys, the ministry switched organisational nature lies into what caused the fiasco and
WWF-Laos is looking for Lao national experienced person to fulfill a position of CarBi 2 Project Manager to a sampling method for behind this. where the responsibility lies.
to be based in Salavan Province, Lao PDR. businesses in Tokyo from After being informed The opposition parties
2004. The change was of inappropriate statistical have criticized the change in
WWF has been a strong, credible and recognized global force in the world of conservation for the past
half-century as we have strived to deliver on our mission of building a world where people thrive in made out of consideration surveys by the chief of the the survey method for midsize
harmony with nature. With our 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, we aim at increasing our conservation impact

Violating a rule that requires all

by focusing on direct threats to wildlife, forests, and water ecosystems, and by increasing our influence
and credibility in the Lao PDR.

WWF’s vision for Laos is that the human footprint stays within the country’s capacity to maintain the full

large businesses to be covered in

spectrum of biological diversity and ecosystems, and the key services they provide, to enhance Lao
people’s livelihood resilience and contribute to the sustainable conservation of the overall ecological
integrity of the Greater Mekong Region.

the statistical surveys, the ministry

CARBI phase 2 (Biodiversity Conservation In The Central Annamites Through Ecosystem Protection) is a
transboundary project between Laos and Vietnam contributing to the protection, restoration, and sustainable
use of ecosystems and the conservation of biological diversity in the Central Annamites Landscape with
innovative and transformational conservation interventions that support the governments of Vietnam and

switched to a sampling method for

Laos to meet their obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Major function:

businesses in Tokyo from 2004.

The CARBI 2 Project Manager leads, and is responsible for, the planning, implementation, monitoring,
reporting and overall management of all project activities. Tasks also include supervision of financial
and administrative aspects of the project. He/she organizes project execution in line with programmatic
objectives, engaging national counterparts and building reputation for quality project delivery. He/she is
accountable for all project deliverables.
• Ensure the project’s Memorandum of Understanding for activities implementation (MoU) is
signed within the delays agreed with the project’s donor; for reducing burdens on section in charge around businesses, blaming it on
• Manage project activities, project budget, project staff (6 positions), and create synergies for companies, but necessary 2017, a senior ministry political pressure from the
effective management; report to the Southern Provinces Coordinator; procedures, including official at the director- Prime Minister’s Office. The
• Set up and manage the project office in Salavan province; approval from the internal general level instructed the latest report noted that the
• Under the technical supervision of the CARBI 2 transboundary Project Director (based in Hue,
Vietnam), ensure effective communication and coordination with the WWF-Vietnam and WWF affairs and communications section chief to rectify the change “can be considered
Greater Mekong Programme Office team; ensure all project’s programmatic objectives are met; minister, were not taken, irregularities. However, the statistically reasonable.” In
coordinate with and report on a regular basis to the CARBI 2 transboundary Project Director in and appropriate adjustments section chief did not do so; light of this, criticism by the
line with the strategic objectives of the project in Laos as well as the regulations and policies
of the WWF-Laos office;
of statistical data were not nor did the senior official opposition bloc appears to
• With support from technical consultants, the WWF-Laos Forest and Wildlife Coordinators, made. confirm it. Most senior detract from the real issue.
prepare annual project implementation plans with project partners; Responsibility for officials at the ministry There is an urgent need
• Develop, monitor, review and update project work plans to ensure that the project attains its continuing to distort the were unaware that the to thoroughly familiarize
objectives as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible;
• Prepare brief monthly monitoring reports (MMR), 6-months and yearly technical reports statistics for more than a statistics were processed bureaucrats with ethics for
against the approved work plan and budget plan, as per donor and Government counterpart decade is grave, as the practice improperly. government officials and
requirements, in both Lao and English languages; caused underpayments in It is reasonable that restore proper governance
• Monitor and review the monthly, quarterly and annual budget expenditure reports; provide of the ministry. Tasks to
recommendations and feedback. Following this, together with the WWF-Laos Finance
employment insurance, the new report strongly
Department, prepare expenditure reports vs projects’ achievements; work-related accident criticized the ministry’s be considered include the
• Build and maintain networks and partnerships for biodiversity conservation with civil insurance and other social organisational dysfunction. improvement of training
society, international partners, Government local authorities and technical agencies as security programmes. Meanwhile, the report for bureaucrats, including
well as local communities;
• Provide input to communication products and campaigns when required to ensure accurate A m i n i s t r y o ff i c i a l denied the possibility of those in management posts,
information is published about WWF activities; in charge is said to have an organizational cover- and the strengthening of
• Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff under supervision and consultants; evaded a situation in which up, saying, “It cannot be external checking functions.
• Provide other operational and technical support to the WWF-Laos Southern Provinces the official’s work would said there was an act to Constructive discussions must
Coordinator and Conservation Director as required.
Qualification required increase and become deliberately conceal” the be conducted.
• Master’s degree in conservation management, natural resources or environment management,

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forestry, development or social studies, or in relevant fields;
• Qualification in project management and/or in monitoring and evaluation a strong asset.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in managing complex programmes or projects in either
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We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce. Email: itvtimes@gmail.com
16 Tuesday March 5, 2019

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Vientiane Times Tuesday March 5, 2019 Classified 17
RE-AVERTISE: REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

The Government of Lao PDR (GOL) has signed a Grant Agreement

with the Asian Development Bank toward the cost of Climate-friendly
Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project and intends to apply a
part of the proceeds for hiring of consulting services. The project
aims at enhancing competitiveness of rice value chains in three
southern provinces and vegetable value chains in the Vientiane
capital and two more provinces so that it will improve climate
resilience agriculture infrastructure leading to enhancement of crop
productivity, diversification and commercialization.

The Department of Technical Extension and Agro-Processing

(DTEAP) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry now invites
eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing consulting
services for the following positions:
(i)
One Project Management Specialist (International) to the
CFAVC project’s National Project Management Office (NPMO)
Project Management Specialist: He/she shall hold a master’s
degree or equivalent in engineering, agronomy, or a related
discipline with preferably 15 years of experience in rural
infrastructure/ agriculture development in developing countries
in a humid climate, preferably in environments with similar
characteristics to the southern areas of Lao PDR. Must have 10
years experience with the implementation of ADB projects.
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment: Will help in
initial overall project design and planning/scheduling of project
implementation, arrangement of agribusiness production groups,
provide guidance in startup activities such as procurement,
disbursement, etc, as per ADB procedures.
Scope of Work: In terms of planning, the specialist will perform the
following:
1. Review, analyze, and report on the government’s budget
planning and disbursement procedures.
2. Together with NPMO, PPIUs, and DPIUs, assist in the identification
and ranking of sub projects and help prepare an overall work
plan (OWP) and work plans for each PPIU and DPIU for the first U.S Embassy Vientiane
18 months of the Project, with a detailed work plan for the first
6 months, with each work plan identifying and quantifying time Invitation for Bids
required for each activity, human resources requirement, budget (Solicitation No. 19LA9019Q0010)
requirement and a detailed works schedule highlighting any
constraints and risks.
The American Embassy Vientiane, Lao P.D.R. is seeking for a contractor to provide Thirty-
3. Draft the capacity building master plan (CBMP).
five (35) Air Purifier from a Local Vendor. You are invited to submit a quotation. The Request
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output: The specialist will be for Quotations (RFQ) consists of the following sections:
based in the NPMO and will directly support the National Project
Director. He/she will: 1. Standard Form SF-18
1. Supervise the work of the start-up national consultant to ensure 2. Basic information, specification.
that inputs and activities are effective and of high quality;
2. Assist NPMO in the initial scheduling and planning of project U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires that contractors be registered in the
implementation; System Award Management (SAM) prior to being awarded a purchase order. Contractors, who
are not registered with SAM, may not be awarded the purchase order. This requirement applies
3. Assist in the ranking and arrangement of agribusiness to all acquisitions for overseas vendors that greater than $30,000. Go to the
production groups; linkhttps://www.sam/gov
4. Provide advice and guidance on procurement, disbursement and
liquidation of expenditures following ADB procedures; Direct any questions regarding this solicitation to:VientianeProcurement@state.gov
5. Assist the monitoring and evaluation specialist in the preliminary
design, planning and supervision of the monitoring of The Solicitation can be found as the link below:
implementation safeguards and benefits; and https://la.usembassy.gov/embassy/procurementandbusinessopportunities/
6. Provide orientation to NPMO, PPIUs and DPIUs on the
project design. Please read the RFQ carefully and, if you are interested, submit your quotation.
Those who have responded to our notification in CMS of ADB are Return the completed SF-18 to the address shown in block 5a of the SF-18 before 4:00PM,
expected to apply again. Interested candidates may provide their Local time: on March 6, 2019.
expressions of interest along with details of their qualification and
experience on or before closing office hours of March 08, 2019 to Oral quotation will not be accepted and proposal will not be accepted after this time.
the following address.
For more information, please contact General Service Office in below address:

Department of Technical Extension and Agro-Processing U.S Embassy Vientiane

National Project Management Office GSO, Procurement
Climate-Friendly Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project Thadeua Rd, Km 9, Ban Somvang Tai
Donetew Village, Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. PO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos
Tele: 030 9497962 Mobile: 020 99150101 Telephone: 856-21-487038
Email: khampong83@gmail.com, khampong_v@yahoo.com Fax: 856-21-488002
18 Tuesday March 5, 2019 Vientiane Times

What’s On
Self-defence training Movie night
for women Cone along to see “Sister Act”
– a hilarious movie that stars
This session will teach self- Whoopi Goldberg as a sassy
defence techniques to 40 lounge singer forced to hide
women. The training is free. from the mob in the last place
Participants are requested anyone would ever look for her
Phee Ta Khon festival
The public is invited to the annual Phee Ta Khon festival
featuring lots of traditional activities and stalls selling local
products.
When: March 16-21
Where: Main town in Paklai district, Xayaboury province.

New Zealand scholarships

to arrive at least 15 minutes
before the start. Dress: t-shirt
and sweatpants.
Where: Lao-Japan Budo
Centre
When: March 8, 9-11 am.
For more information please see “Fighting for women” on
Facebook.
Motocross competition
The Lao Motocross Federation
invites bike riders to enter this
competition to raise money for
a school in Phathong village,
Vangvieng district, Vientiane
province. Fans of motocross
are also invited to come along
and cheer on the competitors.
Entrance is free.
When: March 9-10
Where: That Luang Lake
Specific Economic Zone
Scholarships in Thailand
Qualified persons are invited to apply
for fully-funded GMS scholarships in
Thailand. Applicants are accepted from
Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam, and Yunnan and Guanxi
provinces in China.
Where: Apply online at https://www.ait.
ac.th/admissions/scholarships/loom-
nam-khong-pijai-gmsarn-scholarships/
When: Apply by March 31
Book festival
Come along to this event featuring a wide variety of Lao and
foreign books for browsing and sale at more than 200 booths,
together with other activities. Entrance is free.
When: March 7-17 from 9am to 9pm
Where: World Trade Center Laos, near Vientiane Center on
Khouvieng Road, Vientiane.
– a convent. Free entry and free
popcorn.
Where: The American Center @
Thatdam
When: March 6, 5-6:45
Women and health meeting
Women are
invited to the
“Women and
Health in Laos”
meeting, held to
mark International
Women’s Day by
the Embassy of
France to Laos.
Seat are limited
so please complete the registration form and submit questions
to feed discussions at the event at https://framaforms.org/
inscriptions-journee-internationale-des-droits-des-femmes-6-
mars-a-lifl-1550636619?fbclid=IwAR19lTqLsoC9tCvwrZYA8RN
JuMdQyeedr1t1er8nF5H2ghtDujPL4ctcuGs
Where: Institut Francais, Lane Xang Avenue.
When: March 6, 4:30-6:30 pm
Free business training
for women
To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Women’s
Entrepreneurial Centre will run a free business idea training
session, open to all women. Please register a place at https://
goo.gl/forms/8i2xisKQR69uJ8lf2
For more information please call 021 451 669
Where: Women’s Entrepreneurial Centre, Vientiane
When: March 5-6, 8:30am-4pm.
Modern art exhibition
The public is invited
to an exhibition by
Young Kyoung Hong,
a teacher at the Hong
Art Studio.
Where: T’Shop Lai
Gallery, Vientiane
When: March 1-31
Those wanting to broaden their knowledge are encouraged
to apply for this scholarship. The scholarships are offered for
postgraduate level study only.
Where: Apply online at https://savvydigital.co.nz
When: Applications accepted until March 14, 12 pm New
Zealand time.
Korean scholarship
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea is accepting applications
for the 2019 Korean Government Scholarship graduate
programme.
When: Applications accepted until March 11 (working days only)
Where: Submit at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, 4th
Floor, Royal Square Office Building, Crowne Plaza Vientiane,
Samsenthai Road, Sikhottabong district, Vientiane.
Call: 021352 031-3 or Email: laos@mofa.go.kr
TDR postgraduate
scholarship
The Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas
Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, invites
suitably qualified candidates to apply for a TDR Postgraduate
Scholarship in the International Master Programme in Public
Health, with a focus on Implementation Research for the 2019-
2020 academic year. The training will be focused on courses
relevant to a career in implementation research on infectious
diseases of poverty. Only applicants from low- and middle-
income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western
Pacific regions are eligible.
When: Applications accepted until March 24
Where: Apply online at website: http://graduate.fk.ugm.ac.id/ or
email: graduate.fk@ugm.ac.id
Scholarships for study
in India
The Embassy of India is offering scholarships for
undergraduate, postgraduate courses and doctoral studies
in the fields of IT, vocational training, business management,
economics, archaeology, architecture, history, and other
areas. Applicants are required to have a good knowledge of
English. Those who have previously applied for any scholarship
provided by the government of India are not eligible. Also on

ODOP Fair in Xaythany

offer are 2 slots for Buddhist studies under a cultural exchange

University quiz contest

Xaythany district is hosting a One District, One Product fair to
sell goods made by producers and farmers in Xaythany and
nearby districts. Come along and enjoy activities including
The Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of
Laos, invites young people to enter a competition titled “Young
programme for the year 2019-2020.
When: Applications accepted until March 15.
Where: Apply at the Embassy of India in Saphanthong Kang
village, Sisattanak district, Vientiane, or online at portal:
a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in and email: inf.vientianne@mea.gov.in

Hi 5 Youth Football League

a traditional singing and dancing contest, sepak takraw and
boxing competitions, and other entertainment.
When: March 5-11
Where: Nonsaard village, on Road No. 10, Xaythany district.
For more information call: 020 58551515, 020 22010519, or
020 55838887
share ideas, join, create and develop together”. The winner will
receive almost 2 million kip in cash, a certificate, and a T-shirt.
When: Applications accepted until March 5
Where: Apply to the Faculty in Donnokkhoum village, Hi 5 Football Field in partnership with the Lao Football
Sisattanak district. Federation, TCFC and Lob Stadium are organising an U-10 and
For more information call: 020 78159114, 020 54490769 U-13 youth league from March 2 to April 27. Eight teams each

Bike for Her event Mister International

for a total of 16 teams. Various Vientiane clubs will participate
in the fun competition which values sportsmanship, friendship

The Lao Bicycle Federation and the Lao Women’s Union invite
bicycle riders to take part in this event which supports moves to
prevent violence against children and women. It will raise funds
to help women who have suffered physical abuse.
When: March 10
Where: Road bikes and mountain bikes can take part in
a 90km race from the Chao Fa Ngum statue to Sangthong
district. A friendly bike ride over 13 km starts from the Chao Fa
Ngum statue and ends at That Luang square.
Registration online and for more information visit: https://
bikeforher.com/ and www.fackbook.com/bikeforher/
Indonesian language course
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Vientiane is
offering a free Indonesian language course. The course has
classes at basic and intermediate levels.
When: Registration until March 7, from 9am to 4pm
Where: Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Vientiane,
Kaysone Phomvihane Road
For more information call 020 7675 5866 or email: pensosbud_
vte@yahoo.com
Laos contest
The nation’s young gentlemen are invited to apply for this
contest. Applicants must be aged 18-28, at least 175 cm tall
and have English language skills. The winner will have the
chance to represent Laos at the Mister International contest
later this year.
When: Applications accepted from today.
Where: Download an application form at www.facebook.com/
misterinternationallaos/ or call: 030 5398 797
English teaching
pronunciation workshop
Teachers who want to improve their English language
pronunciation are invited to apply for this course, taught by
American English Language Fellow, Farrah Littlepage. The
workshop will run for five weeks. Register your seat at https://
www.surveymonkey.com/r/5C6CHHN
Where: American Center @ThatDam
When: Every Tuesday from March 5 - April 2, 10am -12 noon
and the spirit of football. Family friendly with game booths for
entertainment, food, and activities for children.
For more information go to Facebook: @
Hi5YouthFootballLeague
Where: Hi 5 Football Field, Nongtha Neua, Hom 6
When: Saturday mornings (March 2 to April 27). From 9am-
1pm (two fields).
Finals Tournament on April 27, 9am-4pm.
Photo and painting contest
The Embassy of France invites people
under 30 to send photos or paintings with
the title “Lao-French food” to celebrate
French gastronomy. The winner will
receive an invitation for 2 people to a
Gala Dinner. The three most beautiful
photographs or works will be selected
and published on our Facebook page.
When: Applications accepted until March 11.
Where: Send your photograph via WhatsApp (+856 20 77 193
198) accompanied by the name, first name, age, address and
telephone number of the person participating in the contest.
Vientiane Times Tuesday March 5, 2019 Sports 19

2 red cards as Juve goes 16 points
clear by beating Napoli
Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo (top center) and Napoli’s Kevin
Malcuit go for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between
Napoli and Juventus, at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy
on Sunday.
(AP) -- Two red cards and a
late penalty miss contributed
to a dramatic match at the
Stadio San Paolo on Sunday
as Juventus beat second-
place Napoli 2-1 to continue
its seemingly unstoppable
march toward a record-
extending eighth successive
Serie A title.
“We have a 16-point
advantage and a superior
head-to-head record,”
Juventus coach Massimiliano
Allegri said. “It’s undoubtedly
a significant advantage, but
we still have to wait to be
mathematically certain. I
think we still need five or six
--Photo AP
victories to win the title.”
Juventus appeared to be
cruising when it went in at
halftime 2-0 up, and with a
man advantage after Napoli
goalkeeper Alex Meret was
sent off for a foul on Cristiano
Ronaldo.
But Miralem Pjanic
scorer of the first goal was
also dismissed at the start
of the second half and Jose
Callejon pulled one back for
Napoli. Lorenzo Insigne then
hit the post for the home team
with a penalty six minutes
from time.
The match had turned
in the 28th minute when
Ronaldo intercepted Kevin
Malcuit’s poor back pass and
went down on the edge of the
area as Meret came rushing
out to challenge.
Although it was debatable
whether Meret touched
Ronaldo, referee Gianluca
Rocchi showed a straight red
card to the Napoli goalkeeper
for his recklessness as it denied
a clear scoring opportunity.
“It’s a very controversial
incident,” Napoli coach Carlo
Ancelotti said. “Certainly he
didn’t touch him, but it could
be a thing of intent. It’s not so
clear this direct red, it’s not a
given that Cristiano would
have got to the ball.
“The red seems over the
top to me. There’s the VAR
and the referee should have
looked at it again why else
do we have it?”
Pjanic curled the resulting
free kick into the net and
Emre Can doubled Juve’s
lead 11 minutes later with a
close-range header.
Napoli was given a way
back into the match when
Pjanic was shown a second
yellow card for handling two
minutes into the second half.
The hosts reduced the
deficit in the 61st as Callejon
got ahead of the Juventus
defenders to tap in Insigne’s
cross.
Westbrook helps Thunder rally for
99-95 win over Grizzlies
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
-- Russell Westbrook turned
back the clock a bit on
Sunday.
Oklahoma City’s All-
Star point guard scored 12
of his 22 points in the fourth
quarter, and the Thunder
rallied from a 13-point deficit
in the final seven minutes
to snap a four-game losing
streak with a 99-95 victory
over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Westbrook shot 3 of 13 in
the first three quarters, then
went 4 for 7 in the fourth. It
was similar to the late-game Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams (right) tries to
get to the ball before Memphis Grizzlies guard Justin Holiday
scoring binges he went on (left) in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday.
during his MVP season two --Photo AP
years ago.
The Thunder needed I give our guys credit they Av e r y B r a d l e y
every bit of it forward Paul still tried to work as hard as scored 27 points, Delon
George, the NBA’s No. 2 they could to defend, even Wright had 17 and Jonas
scorer and league leader though offensively, we had Va l a n c i u n a s a d d e d 1 6
in steals, missed his third our challenges.” points and 13 rebounds
straight game with a sore It was the first time since for the Grizzlies.
right shoulder. Jan. 6 that the Thunder failed M i k e C o n l e y, t h e
Oklahoma City supported to score at least 100 points. team’s floor general and
Westbrook’s late surge by “With Paul out, certainly leading scorer, sat out with
holding the Grizzlies to 6-for- offensively, it’s been a general soreness. Memphis
21 shooting in the fourth. challenge the last several coach J.B. Bickerstaff
“One of the things we games,” Donovan said. said Conley’s presence
talked about that I said before “I’ve been trying to find was missed in the fourth
the game tonight is that we’ve a way to keep helping our quarter.
got to create a defensive guys offensively in order “I think the guys put
identity regardless,’” to create an identity with forth a hell of an effort
Thunder coach Billy him being out.” to get themselves an
Donovan said. “We have to Dennis Schroder added opportunity to win the
defend at a higher level every 17 points and a career-high game, but it’s a matter
single night. Offensively, we 11 rebounds, and Steven of learning who we are
struggled to get any kind of Adams had 13 points and and who gets the touches
flow or continuity there, but 22 boards for the Thunder. where,”

Local publication for call for proposals Local publication for call for proposals

Civil Society Organisations: Enhancing CSOs’ EIDHR – Country Based Support

Contribution to Governance and Development
Processes in Lao PDR
Publication reference: EuropeAid/162347/DD/ACT/LA
The European Union is seeking proposals for strengthening the capacity of
Lao Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to contribute to the achievement of
national development goals in Lao PDR in different types of development
sectors with financial assistance from the CSO-LA programme. The full
Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation on the following
internet sites: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/
index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/laos/
index_en.htm
The deadline for submission of proposals (concept note) is on 19th
April 2019 at 11:00hrs Brussels time.
An information session on this call for proposals will be held on 12th
March 2019 at 09:00 – 12.00hrs Vientiane local time at the Delegation
of European Union to Laos
EUROPE HOUSE
Unit 19, Sethathilath Road
Hom 2, Ban Haisok,
Chanthabouly District, Vientiane, Laos.
Scheme (CBSS) Lao PDR
Publication reference: Europe Aid/162453/DD/ACT/LA
The European Union is seeking proposals for strengthening the capacity
of International and Lao Civil Society Organisations to contribute
to the strengthening of fundamental rights and to the consolidation
of the rule of law in the Lao PDR, with financial assistance from the
EIDHR programme. The full Guidelines for Applicants are available
for consultation on the following internet websites:: https://webgate.
ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcom
e&nbPubliList=15&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&searchtype=RS
&aofr=162453 and https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/lao-pdr/58782/
call-proposals-european-instrument-democracy-and-human-rights-eidhr-
country-based-support_en
The deadline for submission of proposals (concept note) is on 26th
April 2019 at 11:00hrs Brussels time.
An information session on this call for proposals will be held on 13th
March 2019 from 09:00hrs to 12.00hrs Vientiane local time at the
Delegation of European Union to Laos
EUROPE HOUSE
Unit 19, Sethathilath Road
Hom 2, Ban Haisok,
Chanthabouly District, Vientiane, Laos.
20 Tuesday March 5, 2019
Sports
Lara, Castano fight to split
draw in 154-pound title fight
Cuba’s Erislandy Lara (right) punches Argentina’s Brian
Carlos Castano during the ninth round of a WBA super
welterweight championship boxing match on Saturday.
NEW YORK (AP) --
Erislandy Lara and Brian
Castano raised their arms,
both believing they had won
a close, competitive fight.
Moments later, they
found out neither did.
Castano retained his
154-pound title Saturday
night when he and former
champion Lara fought to a
split draw.
Judge Kevin Morgan had
it 115-113 for Castano and
John McKaie had it 115-113
for Lara. Julie Lederman
scored it 114-114 for the split
draw, which drew plenty of
boos from the crowd of 7,329
at Barclays Center.
Lara (25-3-3) was trying
to regain a title after the
long-time champion had
lost his belt by split decision
to Jarrett Hurd last April in
Las Vegas. Like that one,
and many of his other fights,
this one was too close to call
in almost every round, with
Mitchell wins Honda Classic for 1st PGA Tour title
Keith Mitchell holds up his trophy after winning the Honda
Classic golf tournament on Sunday.
PALM BEACH GARDENS,
Fla. (AP) -- Keith Mitchell
made a 15-foot birdie putt
on the final hole Sunday to
win The Honda Classic for
his first PGA Tour victory
to earn a trip to the Masters.
Mitchell closed with
a 3-under 67 to finish at
9-under 271 at PGA National,
one stroke ahead of Brooks
Koepka and Rickie Fowler.
“I was trying to focus on
what was going on,” Mitchell
said. “My mind started
wandering there a little bit
--Photo AP
Castano (15-0-1) pressuring
Lara around the ring and
throwing more punches,
but Lara coming back with
precise left hands.
“It was a great fight,
but I saw myself winning
eight rounds tonight,” Lara
said through an interpreter.
“My punches were much
more effective. He did
have pressure but I was
dominating the pressure.”
The Associated Press
scored it 115-113 for
Castano, the Argentine
fighter who is 10 years
younger but couldn’t wear
out the 39-year-old Cuban.
“Again, I demonstrated
I’m not old,” Lara said. “I’m
still fine-tuned.”
Fellow Cuban Luis Ortiz
did win his bout, taking
a lopsided unanimous
decision over Christian
Hammer in a 10-round
heavyweight match.
Castano kept his hands
--Photo AP
at the end ... and then I hit a
great putt.”
Mitchell was one shot
behind going into the final
round, bogeyed the opening
two holes and fell as many
as four shots behind before
slowly getting back into the
mix, and then pouring it on
with four birdies over his
last seven holes.
All he had to do was
hold off Koepka, the
reigning PGA Tour player
of the year and three-time
major champion, and
held high and was able to
block many of Lara’s left
hands early in the fight, but
the veteran began getting them
through the guard more often
as the fight went on.
Lara’s loss to Hurd was a
thriller awarded fight of the
year for 2018 but he looked
old at the end of it, getting
knocked down in the final
round to ultimately cost him
the fight.
But he held on until the end
in this one, though Castano
won the final three rounds on
all three scorecards.
The champion was
frustrated afterward, believing
his aggressiveness should
have won him the fight. He
outlanded Lara and was
credited with throwing 668
power punches to Lara’s 301,
but only landed 78 more of
them against Lara’s crafty
defense.
“It was a good fight. A
clash of styles. I know I
won the fight,” Castano said
through an interpreter. “I feel
I was robbed. If he wants the
rematch, I’ll give him the
rematch.”
Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) won
his third straight since his
lone loss, when he was
knocked out by WBC
champion Deontay Wilder
in the 10th round of their
title fight in this same arena
last March. This was the
first of those victories that
wasn’t a knockout, but the
39-year-old Ortiz wasn’t
disappointed and still wants
a r e m a t c h w i t h Wi l d e r
or a fight with Anthony
Joshua, who holds the other
heavyweight titles.
the always popular Fowler.
Koepka finished with two
birdies on the last three holes
for a 66, while Fowler made
three birdies over his last four
holes, including a 45-foot putt
on No. 17, for a 67.
But Mitchell didn’t waver
in the wind.
He was on the upslope of
a fairway bunker on the par-5
closing hole, about 205 yards
from the pin for his second
shot. All he could do from
there was blast out to the
fairway, leaving a wedge to the
green. That checked up about
15 feet below the hole, giving
him a putt to win.
He made it, pumped his
fist and waited for the final
group of Wyndham Clark and
Vijay Singh to finish about five
minutes later.
Mitchell finished at 9-under
271 and earned US$1,224,000.
Singh, at 56 trying to
become the oldest winner in
PGA Tour history, was among
those tied for the lead on the
back nine. He fell back with a
tee shot into the water hazard
on the 17th hole. Singh closed
with a 70 and finished sixth.
Liverpool’s Divock Origi is tackled by Everton’s Morgan Schneiderlin during the English Premier
League soccer match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England
on Sunday.
Liverpool’s title implosion leaves
Man City a point in front
(AP) -- Two months after
blowing the chance to go
10 points clear, Liverpool
isn’t even top of the Premier
League any more.
With nine matches to go,
it is advantage Manchester
City. Retaining the title is in
the hands of the champions.
City is a point ahead
of Liverpool thanks to its
1-0 win at Bournemouth
on Saturday and Juergen
Klopp’s side being held 0-0
by Everton on Sunday.
The stalemate wasn’t a
blip in Liverpool’s quest to
end a 29-year top-flight title
drought, but the latest in a
worrying trend for Klopp.
His side has drawn four of
its last six league matches
to hand the initiative to Pep
Guardiola’s City.
Blame the weather, not
the players, according to
Klopp.
“(A) very, very difficult
game for different reasons,”
Klopp told broadcaster Sky
Sports. “A wild opponent
and I know people don’t
like it when I say this the
Nick Kyrgios,Wang Yafan win Mexico Open titles
China’s Yafan Wang plays a ball in her Mexican Tennis Open
final match against Sofia Kenin of the US, in Acapulco, Mexico
on Saturday.
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP)
-- Nick Kyrgios won the
Mexico Open on Saturday
night for his fifth ATP Tour
title, beating second-seeded
Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4
in the hardcourt event at The
Princess Mundo Imperial.
wind came from all different
directions, you saw that in a
lot of situations.
“It didn’t help any football
play, especially when the ball
was in the air, which it was
a lot. In a game that was
difficult to control because
of those things, we had I
think three or four really big
chances.”
It’s not only the title race
that has been transformed
in recent weeks. The race
for third and fourth place
is now looking more open.
Tottenham’s grip on third
spot has been weakened,
with Manchester United
three points behind.
And while Chelsea
remains sixth, a 2-1 victory
at relegation-threatened
Fulham put Maurizio
Sarri’s team one point
behind Arsenal and within
two of United, with a game
in hand.
Goals from Gonzalo
H i g u a i n a n d J o rg i n h o
ensured Scott Parker made
a losing start as Fulham’s
caretaker manager
--Photo AP
The 23-year-old Kyrgios,
ranked 72nd in the world,
beat second-ranked Rafael
Nadal in the second round,
then knocked off Stan
Wawrinka and John Isner to
reach the final.
Kyrgios won for the first
Vientiane Times
--Photo AP
following Claudio
Ranieri’s firing.
“We were trying to
involve Tottenham in the
fight (for fourth) and I think
that now they are involved.
So, better two teams for four
places than three for one
place,” Sarri said.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was
back in Chelsea’s goal
after being dropped for
Wednesday’s 2-0 victory
over Tottenham for refusing
to be substituted in the
League Cup final.
Kepa made fine saves
to twice deny Aleksandar
Mitrovic.
“The reaction today was
really very good,” Sarri said.
“He paid with the club, with
the team. Now the situation
is closed.”
Jorginho’s winner in the
31st minute the midfielder’s
first from open play since
joining from Napoli last year
came within four minutes of
Calum Chambers equalising.
Fulham is now 10 points
adrift of safety with nine
games to go.
time since the Brisbane event
early last year, with all five of
the Australian’s titles coming
on hardcourts.
Zverev, the German star
ranked No. 3, has 10 ATP
Tour victories, winning five
times in 2017 and four last
year.
Earlier, China’s Wang
Yafan won her first WTA
Tour title, beating fifth-
seeded Sofia Kenin 2-6,
6-3, 7-5. The 24-year-
old Wang, ranked 65th,
overcame a 2-0 deficit to
win the second set.
In women’s doubles,
Victoria Azarenka won a title
for the first time since giving
birth to son Leo in December
2016, teaming with Zheng
Saisai to beat third-seeded
Guiiana Olmos and Desirae
Krawczyk 6-1, 6-2.